


Wandering Firebender

by RealAlex13Creations



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action/Adventure, Firebending & Firebenders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:35:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 112,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealAlex13Creations/pseuds/RealAlex13Creations
Summary: Elio has the life his family wants for him, but it's not the life he wants to live...
Comments: 10
Kudos: 5





	1. Elio

"Fire. The element of power. It is marked by the ambition and drive to succeed that its benders have. While other elements adapt, fire overcomes." Elio recited, getting into his stance and practicing his formations.

Year after year, his teachers in school and in training had reiterated this to him again and again. It was the creed of his academy. It was the first thing he was taught to memorize in school…

It was the only thing about the Fire Nation that he truly believed in.

"Very good, son. Now, show me your strongest dragon punch."

Elio turned towards the setting sun where there was nothing that could be burned by his strike. Taking a strong forward step, he punched forward, releasing a huge burst of fire that quickly roared in a flume. His father smiled approvingly.

"Well done, son. You will make a fine soldier soon enough." He said, standing up from the bench where he was observing. Elio turned back towards his father.

"Will I serve in your battalion, father, under your command?" Elio asked curiously. His father shook his head.

"No, that would be against regulations, I'm afraid. Nevertheless, I'm confident that you will be successful regardless of your commanding officer." His father smiled kindly, optimistic about his son's future.

"Elio! Dad! Mom says that dinner is ready!" Elio's younger sister, Taiga, called from the back door of their home.

"Ah, finally! Come inside, Elio, get yourself cleaned up." His father gestured with a wave of his hand, turning around and walking inside. Elio sighed and went inside.

Elio went to his room, quickly washing his face of the smoke and changing out of his uniform. He threw on a long sleeve shirt and some old pants he only ever wore around the house. He went to the mirror to take his hair out of the Fire Nation braid.

"Elio," His mother spoke to him, entering into his room. "Everyone's waiting for you."

"Sorry, mom, I was just finishing up. Dad wanted me to show him some more formations." He explained himself quickly. His mother nodded in understanding.

"I see. It's alright," She smiled kindly and helped him arrange his hair the way he liked it, brushed and swept backwards on top while neatly trimmed and cut short on the sides.

"You know, Elio, when you join the army, you'll have to cut your hair. Perhaps it's time you let this backwards flame style you have go?" She suggested. Elio shook his head.

"I don't have to get rid of it yet. I like my hair this way." He insisted. His mother sighed and nodded.

"Very well, you can keep it until graduation. However, after that, it'll have to be cut properly." She stipulated. Elio nodded.

"Fine, I guess."

"Good. Now let's go have dinner, dear." She said, giving him a hug before heading back to the dining room. Elio followed her there, and they sat down to eat.

"I saw your dragon punch, Elio," Taiga brought up, sipping her water. "You're getting really strong!"

"Thanks," He said with a smile and a chuckle. "Your form has been getting better too, Taiga. Pretty soon you'll be almost as good as me." He teased her lightly. She giggled.

"Just you wait! Soon you'll be nothing but ashes next to me!" She vowed proudly.

"Settle down now, you two," Their mother chuckled. "You both are fine firebenders in your own rights, and soon the two of you will both serve Fire Lord Ozai well, in your own ways."

"You'll be graduating very soon, Elio," His father pointed out. "I know these things are usually meant to be a surprise, but I've already set the wheels in motion for your graduation party. You should start thinking about who you want to invite." He said with a smile.

"A graduation party? Dad, you don't have to-"

"Of course I do!" His father interrupted him with a happy tone. "My son is graduating school and soon will be off serving our great nation! Is that not a great cause for celebration?" He said proudly. Elio blushed and looked down.

"It does sound fun." He agreed.

"Woohoo, party!" Taiga cheered, "Maybe you can invite your _girlfriend_ Princess Azula." She teased Elio. Elio groaned and rolled his eyes at her.

Elio was a student at the most esteemed school in the Fire Nation capital. The Fire Lord's son, Zuko, was one of his classmates, although they didn't share any classes together. As for Azula, the Fire Lord's daughter, he had seen her a few times from a distance, in the schoolyard for the girls' academy.

"What?" Their mother giggled, looking at Elio in confusion. Just the nerve of Taiga to bring her up made Elio hot with embarrassment.

"I said she was pretty _one time_ to her and she doesn't shut up about it."

"Mind your manners at the dinner table, young man. And Taiga, stop teasing your brother." Their mother instructed them.

"Sorry, mother." They both said, resuming their eating.

"As much of an honor as it would be to have royalty at my son's party, I think they'll be pretty busy with their own affairs," His father laughed. "However, you're welcome to try if you want."

"That's alright. I don't really know them. I'll just stick with my friends, thank you." Elio quickly backed away from the idea.

Elio stood in the kitchen later that evening doing dishes in silence. He kept his ear trained on his parents conversing in the next room…

"Something seems to be the matter with Elio, my love," His mother spoke to his father. "I think that the oncoming day of his enlistment is weighing on his mind in a not so positive way." She expressed her observations.

"I've sensed it too, Rue," He admitted. "I've done my best to be positive, encouraging, and upbuilding to him, but something is holding him back, I can feel it."

"If I might make a suggestion, Sol, maybe you could pull some strings for him, have him drafted into your unit? It could ease his mind about the whole thing." Rue suggested. Sol shook his head.

"I can't do that, honey. Even if I wanted to, it would create a conflict of interest. My desire to protect him would only prevent him from growing into the man I know he can be. He has to go out on his own." Sol made clear.

"You shouldn't listen in on mother and father, you know." Taiga whispered to him, making him jump in surprise. He quickly put a finger to his lips, sneaking away and pulling her along.

"They were talking about me, Taiga, I needed to hear what they were saying."

"Trying to find out what your graduation gift is gonna be?" She asked with a giggle.

"No, Taiga. Ugh, I graduate in a few days and then they want me to join the military. I'm trying to hear what they're saying about my future, duh." He groaned.

"Ohh I see. Man, you're really nervous about it, huh? Why?" She asked. Elio sighed and shook his head.

"I don't really know," He said, not being fully truthful about his feelings. "It's just… I'm not sure it's all gonna work out, you know?"

"You'll do fine! You're a great firebender!" She said, doing her best to be encouraging to him.

"There's more to being a soldier than just being a good firebender, Taiga. The Fire Nation is everywhere, and all the stuff they do… I don't know if that's for me." He finally admitted.

"What're you talking about?" Taiga asked obliviously. Elio had forgotten that she was 12 and was yet to be exposed to some of the harsh realities behind what they teach in school.

"I guess you'll understand when you get older. Just please don't tell mom and dad what I told you, and please don't tell them that I was listening to their conversation." Elio requested earnestly.

"Alright, alright. I won't tell…if you promise to teach me some of your firebending tricks." She stipulated. Elio chuckled and rubbed her head.

"Fine, you've got a deal. Just promise not to burn down anymore of our trees." He teased her lightly.

"Hey, that was an accident!" Taiga defensively shouted. Elio just laughed, and she began to giggle as well.

The day of his graduation party finally rolled around. The ceremony itself was pretty boring and typical; words of encouragement, lots of rambling about the greatness of the nation, promising futures all around, et cetera.

Elio gave invitations out to his friends in his classes, and let them know that they could bring some of their friends too. By the time the evening of the party rolled around, there was a nice, sizeable crowd gathered in their yard.

His father had prepared for the party very well. There was music and dancing, suitable refreshments and snacks. Despite everything, Elio was having a very good time. These were the sort of things he was going to miss the most.

However, that mood grew sour when his father made an announcement.

"Everyone, everyone, I'd like to thank you all for coming to my son's graduation party," He graciously thanked the guests with his trademark warm smile. "This is a big milestone for him, and I think it's only right that such a thing be celebrated with family and friends.

"Now, to symbolize my son's momentous transition, I'm going to make good on a deal we made with him. Please come forward, Elio." He requested. Elio swallowed, awkwardly looking around at all of the eyes on him as he stepped before his father.

"Dad, what are you doing?" He asked quietly.

"Take a knee for me, son," He directed. Elio did so, keeping his head down.

"You see, my son is quite fond of his hair," His dad said with a laugh. "However, it is not quite in line with military regulations. So! We agreed that he could keep it until his graduation came," He explained to the crowd as he pulled out a ceremonial knife.

"So, to mark this big step in his life, it's time for his haircut," He said. The crowd laughed and applauded him lightly. "To my son! To Elio!" He said, reaching down and taking a gentle handhold of his hair.

"Dad, no! This is embarrassing!" Elio whispered harshly.

"It'll just be a minute, son, don't protest. I don't want to mess this up." He said lightly, bending forward a bit and getting ready to cut the first clump of his hair.

"Stop it!" Elio pulled himself free of his dad's grip. He got up and grunted in frustration, storming away from the party. He didn't dare look back; he could only imagine the shock on his guests' faces, and the look of disappointment his father no doubt had on his face…

Elio sat by the edge of a steep hill just off from their house, overlooking some of the capital. He could see the Fire Lord's house in the distance, but his eyes were directed towards the beaches to the west. He curled his legs up and wrapped his arms around his knees.

He knew he had dishonored his family by his actions, but he couldn't yet accept what was being thrust upon him, at least not in front of everyone he knew. Either way, this disrespect was sure to be held against him for a long time.

"Son, it's getting dark. It's time for you to come inside." His mother's voice called to him soothingly as she approached him. He sighed sadly, not moving.

"The party was really great… I'm sorry I ruined it." He said.

"The haircut thing was your father's idea. He thought it would make the occasion more special and impress on you how proud we are that you are taking such a big step." She explained, crouching down by him and placing a hand on his back.

"Why do I have to be a soldier? There's plenty of soldiers. Surely there's something else that I could do." He brought up.

"Like what, dear?" She asked.

"I-I don't know. I…like the performance techniques. I've been practicing things like Taming The Dragon and the Phoenix Flight. But dad only ever wants to see my fighting formations."

"He just wants you to be ready, dear."

"But I'm _not_ ready! I-I don't even know if I want to be a soldier." He finally admitted. He heard his mother sigh deeply and rub his back comfortingly.

"Just please come home, son. We can deal with this in the morning." She pleaded. He rubbed his eyes and stood up, walking back home with her and saying nothing else.

The sun set in silence over Elio's home. No one spoke anything more. Even his sister, who often tried to comfort him in situations like this, had stayed away to give him room to breathe. Later that night, while Elio laid in his bed with his back to the door, his father did come to speak to him.

"Hi, son. I…realize that you might not be ready to talk to me right now, and that's alright. I just ask that you listen to me…

"I realize that perhaps I come off a bit strong in my pride. I love serving my country, but more than that, I love you, son. The journey you're about embark on may be treacherous, but it is one of honor, and one day you'll look back and realize that your life was given rich meaning.

"That's all I want for you, Elio. I want you to have a happy life and to be happy. But I won't push you to accept this role any sooner than you're ready to accept it. So you can stay silent for now, but when you're ready, I'll be happy to resume your training and preparations…

"I love you, Elio." He said before closing the door and walking away.

"I love you too." Elio said in a whisper, wiping his tears away. He knew his father didn't hear him, but he could only hope that his father knew he loved him.

Finally, Elio stood up. He couldn't take this pressure anymore, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to take the path his father had chosen for him. So he took out some paper, wrote out his thoughts in a letter, and packed up some clothes in a bag.

When the dead of night came, Elio climbed out of the window. He hurried down to the beaches where merchant sailors departed from him. He quietly snuck into the cargo hold of one of the ships, keeping silent as the boat quietly sailed away from the Fire Nation.

He looked down at his personal copy of his family portrait. He rubbed his thumb over the faces of his father, his mother, and his little sister. He then wiped away the tears from his eyes.

He couldn't imagine how they would feel when they would discover what he'd done. Maybe he'd never know. Considering their loyalty to the Fire Nation, maybe they would never understand why he'd run away.

But he still hoped that one day they would…

_To my mother and father,_

_By the time you read this letter, I'll most likely be far away from the Fire Nation. I'm sorry that things had to be this way, but I know that you would not let me leave if I had tried to say a proper goodbye. So instead, I'm leaving this brief message to explain why I've done this._

_I suppose I never could find the courage to tell you this face to face, but I truthfully never wanted to be a soldier. The Fire Nation spreads and takes over city after city at the expense of other people. I can't in good conscience be a part of that._

_I would rather live a life in exile than participate in the Fire Lord's global conquest. I have no interest in fighting anyone on either side. Forgive me, father, I know how proud you would have been…_

_With love, Elio_


	2. The Boy

Elio rushed out of the ship and dove into the water, cautiously swimming around the ship to stay out of sight. He swam towards a secluded part of the shore, away from the dock. He pulled himself onto dry land where the overhanging trees of the forest kept him hidden.

"Oh this sucks!" He growled to himself, laying on his back and taking some time to catch his breath. He swiped the wet hair matted over his forehead backwards. Swatting away the spiderflies buzzing around, he began to progress forward, following the lead of a small creek.

The crackles of thunder and lightning sounded in the distance behind him. Looking back, he could see storm clouds making their way over through the holes in the canopy over his head. Elio sped up his walking pace; a downpour was coming.

The creek led him to a bridge. Elio stepped off of the slanted hill and onto a paved dirt trail. He crossed over the bridge and began to follow the trail, hoping it would lead him away from the Fire Nation sailors and towards a town where he could find lodging and food.

As he continued on his way, the sound of someone humming caught his attention. He walked around a bend in the trail and found a young boy walking with a stick in his hand. He seemed young: maybe between the ages of 8 to 10.

"Hey, kid!" Elio called out. The boy turned around and tilted his head strangely.

"Who are you? I've never seen you around here before." He asked.

"I'm just…passing through. What are you doing way out here? Don't you hear the storm coming?"

"Huh?" The boy looked up at the sky, "Ah! You're right! I _should_ be getting home!"

"Is there a town down this way? I need a place to wait the storm out." Elio asked.

"Oh yeah! My village is just that way! It ain't much, but I'm sure you could find someone willing to help ya. Follow me!" The boy waved his hand for Elio to follow and began marching down the trail.

"Thank you." Elio said, holding tight to his bag and following behind the boy.

However, before they could reach town, the rain began to pour down on them. They sprinted along as quickly as they could, but when hailstones began to come down along with the pouring rain, they knew that they would need to find a place to take shelter.

"Follow me! I know a place where we can stay dry!" The boy shouted, taking him off of the trail and into the forest.

"I think it's a little too late for staying dry, kid! Where're we going?" He questioned, keeping in step next to him.

"Right there, see?!" The boy pointed forward. Elio looked ahead and saw what appeared to be a hut made entirely of stone. The boy crawled inside, and Elio crawled in afterwards.

"Ugh. That sucked." Elio said with a groan. The boy laughed, seeing that Elio was completely unaccustomed to such harsh weather.

"Yeah, it gets that way here a lot. It's because we're between the ocean and a desert plain. The hot and cold air's always crashing into each other and making nasty storms."

"Huh, interesting," Elio nodded. "Well thanks. What's your name, kid?"

"Tenzin," He introduced himself with a smile. "What's yours, teenager?"

"Elio. Nice to meet you, Tenzin. What is this place?" He asked, looking around. The inside of the hut had a fire pit and a few shelves within it, all completely carved out of stone.

"Oh yeah. One time there was an earthbender traveling near here. He got caught in one of the storms too, so he made this little home with his earthbending! Isn't that crazy? It's been around for a long time!"

"Huh, earthbender tent. That's pretty neat." Elio hummed.

"Yeah, too bad the rocks don't do anything about the cold," Tenzin muttered, shivering from his cold clothes clinging to him. "Good thing I have some spark rocks on me." He said, reaching into his pocket.

"Huh, you come out here often, Tenzin?" Elio asked with a chuckle.

"All the time!" He smiled proudly. He pulled out his spark rocks, but they were soaked with water. He groaned, "Ugh, great!" He started scraping the rocks together forcefully, but since they were covered in water, the sparks they were making weren't enough to start a fire in the fire pit.

Elio watched him silently for a bit. He had forgotten that spark rocks were a thing that people used. Of course, he never needed them since he would always just use…

"Here, let me see the rocks. I can do it." Elio said, reaching forward. Tenzin handed the rocks over.

"Alright, but it's not gonna work." He said.

"It's fine. Could you do me a favor and just…cover your eyes for a second?" He requested.

"What?"

"Just do it, man, alright? And no peeking." Elio insisted. Tenzin gave him an odd look but covered his hands over his eyes.

Elio took a breath, putting both spark rocks in his left hand. He took a moment to focus before pointing three fingers towards the fire pit. He sent a stream of fire out of his fingertips, igniting the kindling that was already there and starting a fire.

"Wah! You're Fire Nation!" Tenzin exclaimed fearfully. Elio flinched.

"I said no peeking!" He shouted. Tenzin quickly scrambled to his feet and started to crawl out from the hut to get away from Elio, "Don't go out there yet! The storm is still raging!" He insisted.

Tenzin rushed out from the hut and started to make a run for it. However, as he started to run, lightning struck nearby, scaring him more. That and the constant pelting he was receiving from the hail forced him to retreat back into the hut with Elio.

"You can't go out there yet. Not until this storm lets up." Elio repeated.

"I know… Just please don't hurt me." Tenzin pleaded. He was clearly scared. Elio understood this and was sad to see it, but all he could do was try to reassure him that he meant no harm.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I just need a place to stay before I move on," He explained. He reached into his pack and pulled out two oranges; a small amount of food that he had taken from the ship he'd stowed away on.

"Here." He offered. Tenzin gave Elio another strange look, but he hesitantly accepted the orange from him and sat down by the fire to warm himself.

"So who are you?" Tenzin asked, "Are you a deserter? Did you run away?"

"I did run away…so I guess I am. I ran away from the Fire Nation to avoid becoming a soldier."

"Really? Well, that's good! The Fire Nation is bad and they're bad people! Uh…no offense." Tenzin quickly added, realizing again who he was talking to.

"It's alright. The Fire Nation does a lot of bad things," Elio agreed. "They're not all bad people, they're just…misguided."

"And you ran away because you're not." Tenzin presumed. Elio chuckled.

"Yeah, exactly. Uh… My father wanted me to be a soldier. But I'm not that kind of fighter. I actually love performance tricks."

"Performance tricks?" Tenzin raised his eyebrow at him, "You can _perform_ _tricks_ with firebending?" He asked. Elio nodded and smiled.

"Yeah. I can't show you any because this space is too small, but one of my favorite tricks is called Taming The Dragon. Basically, you make the shape of a dragon out of fire and have it fly around. Then, you make a lasso out of fire and use it to 'herd' the dragon." Elio explained.

"Wow. That sounds really cool! Do you know how to do it?"

"No. Uh, well, I kinda do, but I'm not very good at it yet. I might practice it when I'm somewhere far away and no one can see me."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Everyone hates the Fire Nation around here."

"Yeah…"

Tenzin led Elio to his small village. As they started to approach, Tenzin's nervousness started to build. Elio noticed this and decided it was best to address it now.

"If you're nervous, I can promise you that I'm not here to do anything bad."

"I just don't want to get in trouble for bringing a firebender into town." Tenzin admitted. Elio hummed and stopped walking with him.

"Then you go on ahead. I'll wait a few minutes before coming into town. That way no one thinks I came with you." He decided.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Go ahead." Elio said with a smile. Tenzin nodded and ran forward into town. Elio watched him go and sat down by a tree.

A few minutes passed in silence, and he decided it was time to go in. He stood up once again and entered the small town, keeping his things close to him and saying nothing. A few people seemed to notice him, but only as an outsider and a stranger.

"Excuse me, is there a place where I can stay for awhile?" Elio asked a shopkeeper.

"Look around ya, kid. Unless someone here's willing to let you bunk up, you're out of luck. If you're willing to work, I'm sure someone will give you food and shelter in exchange," The man suggested.

Elio nodded and thought about this. However, before Elio could say anything else, the man held up his hand.

"Not me though."

"Right. Thanks, anyway." Elio walked off.

Elio made his way around town asking if anyone would be willing to open their doors to him. However, again and again, he was turned away. When it seemed that he was just going to have to move on, Tenzin suddenly ran to him again.

"Hey, Elio, right? Come with me!" He waved for him to follow. Elio looked around and walked behind him.

"What's up?"

"So, uh, I told my mom about how you helped me out during the storm. Don't worry, I didn't say anything about your…bending. But she said you could stay in the guest room!"

"Really? But, what about…?"

"Hey, you helped me out, so now I'm gonna help you out! Then we'll be fair and square!" Tenzin grinned. Elio couldn't help but chuckle and smile.

Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad after all…

"So, Elio, where are you coming to us from?" Tenzin's mother, Fei, asked as the three of them ate a modest meal at her dinner table. Elio sipped his tea, quickly trying to put together the best answer.

"Uh…long way from here. A small island." He answered.

"Oh, I see. So what brings you to the Earth Kingdom?" Fei asked.

"I…ran away from the Fire Nation. I'm just trying to steer clear of them." He answered honestly. Fei nodded sadly, but she understood.

"Tenzin's father was an earthbender. He left several years ago to fight in the war. We receive letters from him on occasion, but we haven't seen him since the day he left." Fei explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that… It seems these days that the Fire Nation has affected everyone in the world in one way or another."

"That seems to be the case. But we try to hold out hope, especially now hearing the news that the Avatar has returned to the world." Fei said hopefully. Elio nodded.

"I hope that's true," He said before standing up. "I'm going to retire for the night. Thank you for your hospitality." He said with a smile before respectfully taking his leave.

Elio retreated into his room and shut the door behind him with a sigh. He hated not being completely honest with people who were going through the trouble to help him despite their limited means, but he didn't have a choice.

It was just like Tenzin said: no one likes the Fire Nation.

Elio laid in bed in silence, thinking seriously about his decision to leave. Despite the hatred everyone held towards the Fire Nation, he found himself missing it terribly. It was his home after all, the place he had grown up all his life.

He went to sleep that night dreaming about the home he had left behind…but his rest didn't last very long.

"Tenzin! Grab my pitchfork! There's a goat gorilla outside!" Fei shouted to her son, waking Elio up. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it was still nighttime. He heard the front door of the house open, and soon after Tenzin threw his bedroom door open.

"Hey! Can you help us, please?! There's a goat gorilla running through town! We could use your help driving it off!" Tenzin pleaded. Elio was about to refuse, but seeing the look on Tenzin's face broke down his resolve.

"Yeah! I'll be right there!" He said. Tenzin rushed off. Elio took a moment to gather all of his things together; if something went wrong, he would need to have them on hand.

Elio rushed out of the house. Tenzin passed a hoe to him and they both ran out, joining the townsfolk in trying to drive out the wild goat gorilla. Everyone had farming tools, sharp weapons, and torches in their hands to try and scare it away.

The goat gorilla was something that Elio had never seen before. It looked like a giant monster of an ape with horns on its head like a goat. It swung its arms and thrashed at anything that got too close. The townsfolk poked and prodded at it, but all they were doing was aggravating the creature.

"Stay back, Tenzin! This one's too ferocious!" Fei advised her son, pushing him behind her. Elio looked back at Tenzin, who gave him a look. Elio sighed, knowing what he would have to do.

"Everyone back away from it!" Elio shouted, making his way forward. He dropped his hoe behind him, stepping closer. The villagers all stepped back in confusion.

"Don't get too close, kid!" One of the villagers warned.

"Hey! Over here!" Elio shouted to get the beast's attention.

Elio took in a breath to focus. He raised his hands and created fire out of his palms. The beast quickly caught sight of it and focused on him. Elio spun his hands around, creating quick bursts of fire to force the creature back. The villagers gasped.

"He's Fire Nation! Get away!" Some of them shouted in fear.

"Hurry and run home, Tenzin! Quickly!" Fei shouted to her son, holding her pitchfork up in a protective stance. Tenzin watched with a conflicted expression before running home.

Elio continued shooting quick, popping streams of fire. The loud noises and bright bursts of light caused the goat gorilla to turn and flee. Elio continued after it until it disappeared in the trees. Elio, now on the edge of the village, caught his breath and turned around.

"Get out of here, firebender! We won't have the Fire Nation in this village! Not now, not ever!" The villagers yelled at him, ready to attack. As Elio predicted, having his belongings on hand was a wise choice.

"Very well." Elio agreed, turning and walking away into the night. The villagers continued to yell at him as he walked away. Elio blocked their words out and started to make his way back towards the hut that Tenzin had shown him.

As he approached the hut, he heard low growling. Creating flames in his hands again, he saw the goat gorilla had come back for him. Elio quickly slid his items into the hut before stepping out to face it.

"You just had to step in, didn't you? Force me out of hiding! You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?!" Elio shouted, although he wasn't really directing his words to the goat gorilla. It snarled at him and began to charge.

Elio dove out of the way and quickly spun, swiping his hand and creating a ring of fire that burnt the creature's legs. It roared and turned towards Elio, angrier than ever. Elio sent forth a large blast of fire that knocked the creature back and forced it to flee once again.

"And don't come back!" Elio shouted, throwing more flames towards it as it scampered away. His flames set fire to the grass around him, creating a chain of brush fires.

Elio fell to his knees, catching his breath and trying to calm down from his anger. He sighed and swiped his hair back. In that moment, he made a decision: if he was going to survive, he would have to do his best to keep to himself…

" _Only help yourself. Trust no one."_


	3. The Fugitive (Part One)

"This looks like a good spot to land," Sokka pointed down to a clearing atop a hill, about a quarter mile walking distance away from a nearby town. Aang nodded in agreement, guiding Appa to land on the ground. He, Katara, and Sokka all hopped onto the ground.

"Okay, first order of business! How are we dividing up the tasks today?" Sokka declared.

"Who put you in charge again, Sokka?" Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother, folding her arms.

"I'm just making sure that we're proactive while we're here on the ground."

"Really? I thought we were just giving Appa a chance to rest." Aang said, turning around and sitting on the ground.

"Exactly! We're doing both! Okay, so Aang, it's your turn to get the camp together. I, of course, will do the hunting and gather the firewood. Katara, why don't you go into the market?" Sokka directed.

"Why don't we just all handle the tasks together? That way each task is easier?" Katara suggested.

"It's called 'divide and conquer', Katara. It's strategy stuff, I wouldn't expect you to get it. Just make sure you have your money pouch on ya, 'kay?" Sokka smiled.

"Uhuh. Alright, Mr. Proactive. At least it'll give me a break from your 'strategy'." Katara grumbled, turning away and walking towards town. Sokka sighed.

"I'm always being underappreciated." He groaned.

"I appreciate you, Sokka." Aang smiled.

"You're just saying that to make me feel better. It doesn't count."

Katara made her way down into the Earth Kingdom town. As she entered into town, she quickly realized that it was much bigger than what it looked from above. She wandered around and looked for the market, but she seemed to be a little lost.

Meanwhile, Elio, who had just entered into town himself a few minutes prior, was wandering around looking for a place to stay when he happened to notice a beautiful girl with tanned skin wearing blue clothes walking through town.

At first he was going to ignore her and continue on his own way, keeping to himself like he should have back in the previous town. But then he started to think to himself: _"If I'm going to be travelling on my own, I might as well take the opportunity to meet some people and make a good impression. Who knows when it could benefit me later?"_

Besides, she looked just as out of place as he did, so he decided to go up and introduce himself.

"Hey there! You lost?" Elio called to her as he approached her. She stopped walking and turned towards him. Her expression became a little sheepish as he approached.

"Yeah, uh, I am. I'm looking for the market." She said.

"Oh, hey, me too actually. You know where it is?" He asked.

"Um, no. I was hoping you would tell me." She admitted. Elio laughed.

"I have no idea! But I'll help you look." He offered with a smile. She smiled back and shrugged.

"Sure. Two pairs of eyes are better than one." She said before beginning to walk. He fell in step next to her, and they began searching for the market together.

"What's your name?" Elio asked.

"Katara. And yours?"

"I'm Elio. Nice to meet you, Katara. That's a very pretty name." He complimented.

"Oh. Thank you," She blushed just slightly and smiled. "Are you traveling too?" She asked curiously.

"I am. I'm out on my own just kind of wandering from town to town right now. What about you? You don't strike me as the type to be traveling out on your own." Elio presumed.

"I'm traveling with my brother and a…friend. It's just the three of us. Although, sometimes I _wish_ it was just me." Katara rolled her eyes, thinking about her brother's obnoxiousness earlier.

"Heheh, I gotcha. Where are you from, by the way? I've never seen those kinds of clothes before." Elio asked curiously, noticing the intricate patterns and design of her blue clothing.

"I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." She answered.

"The South Pole, huh? Wow! I do not envy you. I hate the cold." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you'd probably hate it back home then." She chuckled too.

"You must be having a hard time dealing with the different climate out here then, what with it being warmer all the time." Elio brought up. Katara tilted her head side to side.

"It gets a little rough sometimes, but it's not all that bad. It's actually kind of a nice change, not having to bundle up all day every day."

"Ugh, yeah, I couldn't do that. Oh hey, here's the market!" Elio pointed out. Katara smiled and nodded.

"Well well, finally, right? Thanks for walking with me, Elio." She smiled at him.

"No problem, Katara. You want any help taking your stuff back to your friends?" Elio offered.

"Oh! Uh, that's okay. You don't have to go out of your way." Katara said nervously. However, Elio simply smiled and kindly insisted.

"It's no trouble, really. I got nothing else going on today. You're shopping for three people, right? I can at least help you carry the stuff." He offered. Katara thought about it then nodded in agreement, smiling again.

"You know what? Sure! It's nice to actually meet a gentleman for once." She commented, making Elio feel a lot less self-conscious about how upbeat he was acting.

"Happy to help. Lead the way, Katara." He insisted with a smile.

"You won't accept water tribe money?!" Katara exclaimed in surprise. Elio overheard this and walked over with his own supplies in hand.

"What's wrong, Katara?" He asked.

"The problem is water tribe money's no good in this town." The shopkeeper answered, folding his arms and shrugging his shoulders.

"But it's all we have." Katara said disappointedly. Elio saw the look on her face and decided to step in.

"How about Fire Nation money? Will that suffice?" He asked.

"Yeah, you got enough?" The shopkeeper asked. In response, Elio placed out some money; enough to pay for everything and still get some change back.

"You didn't have to do that." Katara said with a bit of guilt. However, Elio simply smiled at her again in a charming, giddy way.

"It's no big deal. Money can always be earned back, but if I just let you go hungry, I wouldn't be much of a gentleman, now would I?" He said. She giggled and shook her head.

"I don't know what to say. You're too kind, Elio. Come on, we should take these back to the others." Katara said, taking some of the supplies and walking away. Elio took the rest in his arms.

"Hey, kid," The shopkeeper spoke up.

Elio turned his head back to look at him.

"Nice going." The shopkeeper gave him a thumbs-up and a wink. Elio smiled and nodded before turning back to catch up with Katara again.

"So how far away are your friends? Are they here in town?" Elio asked as he caught up with her.

"No. They're just outside the city… So, Fire Nation money, huh?" She brought up. Elio swallowed nervously.

"Uhh…yeah. It's all I got," He admitted. "I already used up everything that I had."

"Oh, I see. I guess when you're travelling through an area controlled by the Fire Nation, you have to use what you can to get by." She thought aloud. Elio nodded.

"Yeah. Believe me, it's purely out of necessity." He said with a shake of his head. Katara nodded in understanding.

"I understand. Oh hey, hold on a second, let's make a stop here real quick!" Katara noticed a shop with scented candles off to their left. She crossed over the trail, deciding to make it her last stop before returning to her friends. Elio followed her over to them.

"How do these figure in to your travels?" He asked curiously, unable to see what practical use candles would have.

"Well, you know, a nice scent would create a peaceful atmosphere when we're camping." Katara mused, looking through different scents. Elio chuckled, briefly setting his things down.

"Yes, nothing says peaceful campsite like the smell of…jasmine bloom." He teased lightly, picking up a candle. Katara giggled and rolled her eyes.

"I won't tell you how set up your campsite, you don't tell me how to set up mine." She said, walking past him and looking through different scents.

Elio glanced back at her with a smile. He looked around cautiously to make sure the coast was clear. He then pressed the wick of the candle between his thumb and middle finger. He made a quick snapping motion and ignited the candle. He then turned to Katara with the candle.

"You know, actually, this jasmine bloom scent isn't bad." He said with a chuckle as the floral scent hit his nose. Katara turned and smelled it too.

"It's really nice. Much as I'd love to pick one of these out, I don't think the others are careful enough. They'd probably just smush it in their packs. So no jasmine scent for my tent, I'm afraid," She shrugged and blew the candle out.

"Besides, I wouldn't ask you to pay for anything else. I only wish I could repay you for being so nice." She said. Elio shook his head and put the candle down.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go ahead and take these back to your friends." He said, picking his stuff up again.

"Alright. I'll just warn you now though, they're very eccentric."

As the two of them walked out of town, one man who had just entered the shop left suddenly. He was a patrolman in the town. He hurriedly made his way back to his partner.

"We need to hurry and gather the squad. There's a firebender here in town."

Elio's expression turned strange when he saw a huge bison with an arrow on its head sitting atop the mountain he and Katara had climbed. As the two approached, a guy wearing similar clothes to her and a boy with an arrow on his head came over.

"Guys, this is Elio. He was kind enough to pay for our food today." Katara introduced him.

"Oh, really? Is that so?" Sokka raised an eyebrow at him, leaning in closer, "How suspiciously nice of you." He said as he inspected him.

"Pay no attention to my older brother, Sokka. He's a dork." Katara said, pulling him back by the ear. Sokka yelped in pain.

"Thank you for your kindness," Aang said, bowing respectfully. "It's nice to meet you, Elio. I'm Aang."

"Nice to meet you, Aang," Elio chuckled and bowed respectfully back to him. "That tattoo on your head, the arrow. What is that?" He asked.

"Oh, this? They're airbending tattoos." He answered simply.

"Airbender tattoos, really? Does that mean that you're…?"

"The Avatar? Yes, yes he is." Katara answered with a smile. Elio's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Wow! I-I had heard rumors of your return, but I didn't believe it! So you're an airbender?"

"Yep!" Aang smiled, spinning around and creating a ball of air under his foot. He balanced on it, keeping himself afloat in the air. Elio laughed in surprise.

"Amazing! It's an honor to meet you!" He said in disbelief.

"Yeah yeah, a huge honor. Everyone's honored to meet everyone. But if you don't mind, we do have to get back out there, traveling and stuff, so you should probably just get going." Sokka suggested, shushing him off. However, Aang spoke up.

"Actually, Sokka, Appa says he could use a little more rest before we start flying again. Can we stay on the ground a little longer, just until sundown?" He suggested.

"Great idea, Aang! Elio, why don't you stay for dinner? If there's one thing Sokka's good at, it's cooking meat." Katara added.

"Mmm, meat." Elio and Sokka both hummed at the same time.

"Well, I'm not one to brag, but I am pretty much a master at all things tasty meats. Alright, he can stay, but he has to help collect the firewood." Sokka stipulated.

"Sure! Elio, how about you and I collect the firewood?" Katara suggested.

"What? Nuh uh, it's my job to collect the firewood today, I'll go with him." Sokka spoke up quickly.

"Oh, really? It was your job, was it? Then where's all the firewood at, Mr. Tasty Meats?" Katara teased him with a smile and her hands on her hips. Sokka stuttered.

"Wha- I-I was doing the hunting!"

"We'll be back soon, don't worry." Katara waved, Elio simply shrugged and followed behind her.

"Unbelievable!" Sokka groaned, "Try to be a good leader and everyone just _steps in_ with their own ideas." He grumbled, going back to getting their things together.

"It's alright, Sokka. I think you're doing a great job." Aang smiled.

"You're just trying to make me feel better. It doesn't count." Sokka huffed.

"Sorry about my brother, Elio. He can be a bit overbearing sometimes. Very untrusting." Katara apologized on his behalf. Elio chuckled and shook his head, continuing to collect suitable firewood.

"It's alright. He's just looking out for the group. I don't blame him. You gotta always have your guard up when you travel."

"Oh, you almost sound like him now." She chuckled, mildly teasing him.

"Haha, well, you do have the Avatar with you," He pointed out. "So where are the three of you going, really?" Elio asked curiously.

"Well… We're taking Aang to the North Pole so he can find a waterbending master. I'm going to try and teach him the basics, but what he really needs is a master. So we're flying that way." She explained.

"Wow, the North Pole? All the way across the world." Elio realized with a shake of his head.

"Yeah. It's a long way to go. But it's important that we get there as soon as possible. The sooner Aang learns all four elements, the sooner he can stop the Fire Nation."

"Yeah. I gotcha. The sooner the better," Elio said, taking in a deep breath. "So wait, you're actually a waterbender?" He realized.

"Yes…the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe." She answered.

"I see," Elio nodded quietly. "I'm sorry." He said.

"It's okay. Thank you." Katara smiled reassuringly at him, and he smiled back before continuing with what he was doing.

What were the chances that he would run into someone so important? Someone the Fire Nation no doubt was ceaselessly pursuing? Enemies of his own country… What should he do? Would it be right to continue interacting with them? Or should he take his leave?

"I, uh, think we have just about everything we need." Elio said nervously, trying to come up with a quick decision.

"Yep. Thanks again, Elio," She said appreciatively. "You've been super nice and helpful."

"Y-Yeah, happy to help." He smiled.

"So, are you travelling somewhere too? You seem to be." She asked.

"Uh, yeah, I'm travelling inland." He answered.

"Anywhere specific?"

"Uhh…"

Elio paused for a moment as the trees began to shake, their leaves rustling louder and louder. Katara glanced back at Elio. Elio suddenly realized what was happening.

"Katara, get out of here!" He shouted, throwing himself to the ground. A huge boulder flew over his head, nearly hitting him.

"Ah!" Katara shrieked. The both of them scrambled to run away as several earthbenders came riding through the trees, moving the earth itself to pursue them.

"Go, get out of here! They're after me, not you!" Elio urged her, trying to push her forward. He grabbed onto her and pulled her out of the way of another oncoming boulder.

"What do you mean?!"

"Just go! I'll hold them back!" Elio pushed her forward now. He then turned around to face the approaching earthbenders. Katara turned around with her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?!" She shouted at him.

Elio took in a nervous breath before sliding his hand from left to right. He created a line of fire and raised his hands up, turning the line into a rising wall of fire. Katara's eyes widened in shock as she realized that Elio was a firebender.

"Go! Run!" Elio yelled back at her, sidestepping the boulders being shot through the wall. Katara turned and ran away.

Elio took his stance and began throwing attacks through the wall of fire; kicks and punches became fireballs launched at his attackers. He heard the earthbenders shouting and creating their own walls of rock to block the fire.

Suddenly, one earthbender appeared to his left; he had gone around the wall. He stomped on the ground, creating a shift in the earth and sending it towards Elio. Elio used his fire as a boost to jump over it, spinning and throwing a fire kick.

The earthbender fell back in surprise and fell to the ground. As Elio landed on his feet, the earth suddenly rose around him, locking his body in place. He grunted in surprise and tried to pull himself free, but he was too late.

"Not bad, firebender, using the forest as fuel for your firebending. You must be quite the soldier." One of the earthbenders said.

"I'm not a…" Elio's protest trailed off as he looked around and realized what the earthbender was referring to. His firebending moves had set portions of the forest on fire, and it continued to burn around them.

"Dan, put out the fires," The leader ordered. "We're taking the prisoner back to town. I think it's time we finally send a message out to the Fire Nation, and now we have the perfect man to make an example out of." He smirked.


	4. The Fugitive (Part Two)

Katara came rushing back to the group, her hair a wild mess and her eyes wide in fear. Aang and Sokka saw her and immediately rushed to her.

"What's wrong? What happened? Where's Elio?" Sokka questioned.

"W-We were attacked by earthbenders! They took Elio! He's a firebender!" Katara quickly summarized as she placed her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath.

"What?!" Aang and Sokka both exclaimed at the same time.

"Where is he now?" Aang asked.

"I-I don't know. He held them off with a fire wall, but they're probably taking him back to town." Katara explained quickly.

"Unbelievable! And you trusted that guy! Of course, I knew something was off," Sokka was quick to point out. "Still, we need to be more careful. Come on, Katara, let's get on Appa and get out of here."

"Wait, we're just gonna leave him behind?!" She realized.

"Well, yeah… Woah woah, wait. You wanna _help_ someone from the Fire Nation? You are aware that we are at _war_ with them, right?" Sokka protested.

"Sokka! He needs help! He's not bad! He bought us our food for crying out loud!" She argued.

"He probably was just trying to earn our trust so he could get information and report back to the Fire Nation. We can't trust him. We should just go. If earthbenders took him, it's probably because he did something wrong, or-or he's a soldier!" Sokka determined.

"That is ridiculous, Sokka! The Fire Nation doesn't even know where we _are_ yet," She pointed out. "Besides, we scouted the town out before we landed and we didn't see any Fire Nation soldiers here. We didn't even see Zuko, for crying out loud!"

"Katara, I don't expect you to understand, but we're in Fire Nation controlled territory now. Not everyone we meet is going to be on our side; we need to be careful who we trust. If he's a firebender, he's with the Fire Nation. End of story." Sokka waved his hand.

"How can you be so heartless?! We don't know for sure! Help me out here, Aang." Katara pleaded.

"Yeah, Aang, you're the Avatar, what do you say about this? Do we help the enemy or not?" Sokka asked. Aang's eyebrows furrowed nervously.

Looking between them, they both made valid points. And he wasn't sure who was truly right. However, maybe that fact was reason enough to step in as the Avatar. And besides, Katara seemed to be pretty sure that he could be trusted…

"Um… I'm sorry, I can't really say too much about him. I didn't get the chance to speak with him. But Katara does have a point. We _don't_ have all the facts. I think that it's only right that we make sure we do before we make our decision." Aang determined.

"B-B-But-" Sokka stammered.

"Sokka, I am the Avatar. It's my job to maintain peace in the world, not condemn a group of people. You might be right or Katara could be right. But if she is right, we'd be abandoning an innocent man who needs our help. What happens to him would be on our hands." Aang expressed his thoughts.

"You picked a real convenient time to bust out with the ancient monk wisdom, Aang," Sokka groaned. "You really think that someone from the Fire Nation can be anything but evil?" He asked both of them.

"I don't know," Katara answered honestly. "But we should hurry to town if we're gonna find out."

"For generations, the Fire Nation has been terrorizing the world," The leader of the earthbenders spoke before the whole town. They were circled around him in the center of town. Elio was placed on his knees with two earthbenders guarding him.

"For generations, the world has been in fear of what the Fire Nation can and has done. They will never stop until they have control over every town, village, and tribe in the four nations. They think we're ants that they can just _crush_ under their boots.

"And today, we have found among us a Fire Nation spy! No doubt here to see how many earthbenders there are, how much trouble they will have wiping us out!"

The town began to boo and shout insults at him, cursing the Fire Nation and throwing things they had on hand at Elio. Elio flinched and leaned away to avoid getting hit, but the earthbenders placed their hands on his shoulders to keep him from running.

"Well, today we will show the Fire Nation that we are not to be trifled with! We'll be sure that this spy sends a message back to the Fire Nation that they won't soon forget!" He declared. The crowd cheered maliciously. The earthbenders forced Elio to lie on his stomach with his hands outstretched.

"Look there! I see him there in the middle! It looks like they're gonna do something to him!" Katara pointed from above. Appa swooped over the town.

"It looks like an execution! Aang, if you're gonna get in there, you better do it soon!" Sokka advised.

"This Fire Nation deserves death, but that would be too easy. The Fire Nation has plenty of firebenders. So we are going to show them what we will do to them should they ever dare cross into our land! We will show that earthbenders will not go down without a fight, and if we go down, we take them down with us!" The leader roared.

As the intensity of the crowd rose to a bloodthirsty climax, the earthbenders both lifted boulders out of the earth and brought them above Elio's hands, getting ready to crush them. Elio shook in fear, doing his best to brace himself for what was about to come.

With a loud grunt of effort, Aang jumped down from Appa with his staff in hand. He brought it around and slammed it into the ground, creating a huge surge of wind that blew the earthbenders back away from Elio.

"Elio!" Katara shouted as Appa came to a landing in the center of town. She used her waterbending to break the chains keeping his wrists shackled together. Aang helped him to his feet. Elio was still shaking but his eyes were wide in disbelief and bewilderment.

Had the Avatar come to save him?

"What are you doing?! You're letting a criminal go free!" The people shouted angrily.

"Listen up everyone! My name is Aang and I'm the Avatar. I'm here to set matters straight regarding this firebender," Aang pointed his staff at Elio. "What is it that he's done to you?"

"He's a Fire Nation spy!" They argued.

"That isn't true!" Elio shouted back.

"He tried to burn down our forest!" Another one shouted.

"You attacked him first!" Katara pointed out.

"What proof do you have that he's a spy?" Aang asked.

"He's a firebender! What more proof do we need?" The leader responded quickly, to the agreement of the crowd. Elio looked around nervously, seeing that this could be his only chance to talk his way out of this situation.

"What has he done to you? Has he attacked anyone? Has he made any threats? Has he been seen conferring with anyone from the Fire Nation?" Aang questioned.

"Well…no, he's done nothing yet, but we're not going to give him a chance to!" The leader answered.

"Please, I'm not a spy! I'm not even a soldier! S-Search my belongings! All I have in there is money and supplies." He tried.

"Well, of course a spy isn't going to carry around _proof_ that they're a spy. That'd just be ridiculous." Sokka shrugged. Katara elbowed him in the side.

"Not helping." She glared at him.

"Wait a minute… If Elio _was_ a spy, he would have to report back to someone right?" Sokka brought up.

"Yeah…?" Katara raised an eyebrow at him.

"We searched the area before, remember? You said it yourself! There's no Fire Nation in the area!" He pointed out.

"You're right!"

"That doesn't prove anything! That could just mean there's more spies in the area! They're all hiding!" The leader argued. The audience murmured in agreement.

"But you really don't know that, do you? You're just assuming that because he's a firebender." Aang pointed out.

"The Fire Nation doesn't operate like that," Elio pointed out. "Spies or no spies, they always make sure their presence is felt. Fear is their foremost strategy. They teach that in school."

"Enough! We're not going to debate this anymore! He's a firebender, and he needs to pay!" The leader cut it off. The crowd's intensity began to rise again.

"Please, Avatar, I'm begging you to get me out of here," Elio pleaded, turning his head the best he could to look at him. "Please help me."

Aang looked down at Elio, looking into his eyes. He was doing his best to be impartial, but it was clearly difficult considering the Fire Nation's long history of injustices. Still, he couldn't allow that to influence the facts of the matter.

This was prejudice, and the longer this conversation went on, the more it seemed to be without cause.

"I'm sorry," Aang said, raising his staff up. Elio lowered his head and shut his eyes tightly. But then he felt Aang strike his chains with the staff, breaking them apart. The crowd booed him as he helped Elio stand.

"I'm taking this firebender with me. I will decide what will be done with him, and he will be given a fair chance." He decided.

"He's a firebender! He doesn't deserve a chance!" The crowd shouted maliciously as Aang walked him to Appa.

"Thank you." Elio said sincerely.

"Keep an eye on him, Katara. Make sure he doesn't try anything." Sokka said. Elio and Katara made eye contact but said nothing to one another. Elio, both conflicted and thankful, stared at her for a bit before climbing onto him. Katara broke eye contact first, looking down and climbing onto Appa after them.

Elio sat and held on as Aang took Appa's reins and they began to fly away. As the boos of the crowd subsided, Elio kept his eyes down and his hands together. Katara stared at him, trying to determine what she was supposed to be feeling about him.

Meanwhile, Elio was fighting back the urge to tear up. The same day that he had decided to take a chance and speak to someone, he had almost lost his hands just because he was a firebender. It was enough to make him want to revert to only helping himself and keeping to himself.

He was truly beginning to regret running away.

As they got away from the town, night began to fall over the sky. Elio sat quietly as Katara cut through the restraints still around his wrists. Aang led Appa quietly, pondering over what just happened. Meanwhile, Sokka was the one to speak up first.

"Are…you alright, Elio?" He asked.

"I've had better days," Elio shrugged sadly, his lip tugging to the side. "Thank you though…for coming back for me." He said sincerely.

"We weren't going to just leave you there." Katara said.

"Why didn't you tell us that you were from the Fire Nation?" Sokka questioned.

"Sokka..." Katara said through her teeth. However, Elio answered the question anyways.

"Would you have talked to me if I had told you? Would any of you?" Elio asked, looking at Katara and Sokka. Neither of them answered him. However, Aang spoke up.

"I would have. Where you're from doesn't matter to me; it's who you are and what you do."

"While you are right, you're also the Avatar, so that's a special answer. But most people don't think like you. The Fire Nation is hated all over the world, and for good reason."

"Then why are you out here in the Earth Kingdom by yourself?" Sokka asked.

"…I'm out here because I ran away from the Fire Nation, to avoid becoming a soldier. I looked out past the propaganda that Fire Lord Ozai feeds the people and I saw the truth; the Fire Nation is ruthless and will crush anyone, regardless of who they are, if they are perceived as being in the way.

"But I could never be that person. All I've ever wanted was to help people, to entertain, or just bring some good into this world, bending or no. But that wasn't an option for me, so instead I ran away." Elio explained to them.

The group was silent for awhile, until Katara finally placed her hand on his arm.

"That was a very brave thing to do, Elio."

"Thanks. I just wish more people would understand like you all do." Elio said.

"I'm sorry that I judged you. You're a pretty good guy, man. Even though your haircut's kinda funny." He said, making a joke to lighten the mood.

"Whatever, ponytail," Elio responded, managing a small smile. "Thanks again, all of you. I'm going to get some rest. I can't thank you enough."

"We're just doing our jobs," Aang replied. "When we stop at the next town, we'll drop you off."

"Sounds good." Elio yawned and nodded.

"Oh…okay." Katara hesitantly agreed...

As morning started to come, Elio got off of Appa and looked over the next Earth Kingdom town. He fixed his hood and slung his bag over his shoulder. He turned back towards Aang and the others and bowed thankfully.

"Thank you again for saving me. If you hadn't come, they may have killed me… I owe the three of you more than I'll ever be able to repay." He said thankfully. Aang bowed back and smiled.

"You're welcome. I just hope that as you continue out there, you don't lose your good spirit. Don't let how those people treated you make you lose sight of who you are, or hope that you can still bring good into the world." Aang advised.

"I will keep that in mind. Pretty wise for a kid." Elio commented and shook his hand. Aang chuckled and grinned.

"Do you really have to go?" Katara asked, "Maybe you could come with us. Aang will need a firebending teacher in the future." She pointed out.

"Oh yeah, that's perfect!" Sokka exclaimed, "Good thinking, lil sis!" He ruffled her head, making her shoot him a dirty look. However, Elio shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I'm flattered, but I can't. For one, I'm not a firebending master. I'm not knowledgeable enough. More important though, I have to say no for the sake of my family back home."

"What do you mean?!" Sokka groaned.

"My father is a Fire Nation general. If the Fire Nation finds out that I'm travelling with you and helping the Avatar, I'll go from being a fugitive to being branded a traitor. Who knows what they might do to them in order to get to me? Then _your_ mission will be at risk." Elio explained his thinking.

He had been considering this the whole night beforehand.

"We understand. And while we're sad you can't come, we hope that one day we'll see you again," Katara said, hugging him tightly. Elio hugged back and blushed. "Be safe out there."

"Thank you… You too," Elio said, holding her just a few moments longer before letting her go. "May we meet again one day." He said, bowing respectfully to the group one more time.

Without another word, Elio gave the three of them one last look. They waved to him as Appa began to rise into the air and they flew away. He waved back and turned away, heading into the next Earth Kingdom town. As he walked, he weighed Aang's words against what he had previously determined about keeping to himself.

He decided that he was going to take both extremes and reach a balance between the two, and that's how he would carry himself going forward…


	5. Labor

Elio looked over the building, resting his hands on his hips. He'd never been in this sort of position before; needing to work a job in order to pay for his things. Any jobs he'd worked had been superficial at best, only for spending money.

Perhaps this would be a nice learning opportunity for him; a chance to see what it's like to live a normal life and work for his own bread. His Fire Nation money was beginning to run out, and he didn't want to allow it to clue anyone in to his origins again.

With that mentality, he entered into the facility.

"Hello there, young man. What can I do for you today?" The man behind the information counter greeted Elio with a smile as he approached.

"Hi there, sir. Uh, I was told this was the place to go if I needed to find work?"

"That's right! We offer pay to anyone willing to do the work; gotta warn you though, the work isn't glamorous, and the pay depends on the job you're given." The man explained.

"That's alright. I'll take whatever I can get. Where is it that I need to sign up?"

After signing up to work, he sat down in the general seating area and waited for his assignment to be given to him. He watched more people, various men and women, enter in after him and sign up for the same thing.

"Hey there," A lady greeted him. She had her brown hair tied back in a messy bun. Her face had freckles, and her eyes were a bright shade of green. "You here to work today too?"

"Yeah. It's my first time here." Elio answered with a nod.

"Haha, yeah, I figured when I didn't recognize ya. Most of us here are regulars; we come here every day." She said with a chuckle.

"Really? Why?" Elio asked curiously.

"Guaranteed work," A larger man answered his question, walking over to join them. "Plus, you never know what the next day will bring."

"I see. My name is Elio." He introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Elio! I'm Autumn." The girl introduced herself.

"The name's Tay, kid," The larger man introduced himself. "And this here is Sen, my lil bro." He gestured to a skinnier young man with wild hair.

"Who's the new guy?" Sen asked.

"The name's Elio. I guess I'll be working with you guys today." Elio assumed, standing up respectfully. Sen looked him up and down with an odd sideways smile and scoffed.

"Tch, yeah? Alright then." He shrugged and waved it off.

A few more men and two more women came in and joined the work force of the day, but none of them seemed as interested in conversation as these three. Once everyone had settled in, the man behind the counter stepped out.

"Alright everyone, the assignments are in. Firstly, does anyone have any experience with gardening and landscaping?" The man asked.

Elio glanced at the card the man was holding; the material of the card itself was nice. That likely meant a better pay for a nicer job. So he raised his hand up and stepped forward. Autumn, Tay, Sen, and the other women stepped forward too.

"Excellent. The rest of you I know are good at woodwork and construction. You're being assigned to building a bridge on the south side of town. Report there and your overseer will join you." He instructed. The remaining men left.

"What's our task today, boss?" Tay asked with a smile.

"The rest of you are to report to the Beifong residence. It seems Mr. Beifong would like a team to overhaul and spruce up his courtyard. He will explain to you everything that he wants and provide you with all the tools and materials you need.

"Head on over there right now, please. And no trouble this time, Sen." The man instructed, pointing a warning finger at Sen. Sen simply chuckled and everyone began to make their way there.

"So, any of you know who the Beifongs are?" Elio asked curiously.

"Haha, have you been living under a rock? Everyone knows who the Beifongs are! They're the richest family this side of the Earth Kingdom!" Tay answered with a laugh.

"Don't tease him too much, bro. He's clearly not from around here." Sen commented, glaring at Elio for a few moments before turning his eyes forward again.

"Where are you from, Elio?" Autumn asked curiously.

"I'm just passing through; travelling. I'm just in need of money." Elio answered simply, avoiding the question. It was obvious to the others that he didn't want to get specific, but no one pushed him on it.

"Well, we're happy to have you on board today!" Autumn smiled anyways, doing her best to be the most open and hospitable of the group. However, she could feel that something had the guys on edge: especially Sen.

"Thank you." Elio smiled politely at her.

Finally, the workers reached the Beifong residence. Elio's eyes widened in surprise at how huge the residence really was. Just one side of the outer wall already made him feel like a dwarf in comparison. As nice as his own house on the hill was, in no way did it compare to this mansion.

They knocked on the gate, and a servant opened the door.

"Ah, you must be the help. Follow me inside." He opened the door to them and they entered. As they all walked in, their eyes widened in astonishment at just how big and vast the courtyard really was. It would be impossible to finish this work in a week, let alone a day.

"This place is huge! I've always wondered what it looked like on the inside." Autumn said, looking around at the serene, well-kept sections of grass and ponds. It was like its own little ecosystem within the Beifong walls.

"Sir, here are the workers." The servant spoke to Mr. Beifong. All eyes went to this man; the owner of this small palace. He looked over the workers and cleared his throat, speaking kindly and respectfully.

"Thank you all for agreeing to be involved in this project. What I ask is simple: the paved walkways need to be redone so they are smooth and flat. I wish for there to be a small row of stones around the ponds: not too big that they entrap the turtle-ducks, but big enough that you can't step over them unknowingly.

"Lastly, all plants will need to be trimmed and watered and all weeds will need to be pulled. I have all the tools you will need, including the stones and rock. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah. What's all this for?" Sen asked with a raised eyebrow. Mr. Beifong's eyes narrowed on him, and he quickly became suspicious.

"It isn't your job to know why; it's your job to know how, sir."

"I meant no disrespect, sir," Sen smiled a little. "I'm only asking so that way we can make sure our work is exactly how you want." He explained. This put Mr. Beifong at ease slightly, but he still didn't answer as he turned away.

"I will leave you to your work. I ask that you start from this end and slowly work your way across. More workers will be joining you as the day progresses."

"Sen, what are you doing, man? Are you trying to get us kicked out?" Tay growled. Sen chuckled and shook his head.

"Just asking a question."

And so they all set to work on the tasks they were given. They started out by handling all of the weeds and bushes in their area. Then while Tay and Sen handled the work around the ponds, Elio and Autumn got started on redoing the walkways.

"So, where'd you learn how to do this kind of work?" Autumn asked Elio curiously.

"My mother used to love coming up with family projects like this. She was always into the Do-It-Yourself stuff. We did the walkway in front of our house." Elio answered.

"Oh, nice! My dad used to do this kind of work too, and he taught me how to do it." She said. Elio nodded and glanced up.

"Why do you say 'used to'?" He asked. She swallowed and shrugged, her eyes dropping down to her hands.

"Uh, he died a few years ago. A Fire Nation squad came riding through town, and my dad got trampled by one of them because the guy wasn't paying attention."

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Elio said somberly. Autumn, however, smiled softly and reassuringly.

"It's okay. I mean, yeah, it sucks that it happened, but I still carry on the work. Between this and my mother's bakery, we get by."

"Well, that's good." Elio smiled a bit and wiped his brow. Autumn did the same, tugging at her shirt repeatedly to fan herself.

"I hope we get a break soon." She chuckled.

"Yeah, me too." Elio sighed and chuckled as well.

"Yeah… So you're travelling through, right? Where are you headed?" She asked.

"Uh…nowhere in particular. I'm just travelling." He answered.

"Oh, like a nomad? That's neat."

"Heh, yeah, I guess it is kinda like a nomad." Elio realized.

"How long are you going to be staying in town?"

"I don't know. I guess until I've saved up enough money." He answered with a shrug. Autumn was quiet for a bit before bringing up what she was thinking.

"The guys and I are heading to an underground earthbending tournament tonight. You should come with us." She suggested.

"Earthbending tournament? Uh… I don't know." Elio said timidly.

"You should come, kid," Tay encouraged, walking over to them. "It's pretty exciting!"

"I really should save up my money for food and supplies." Elio shook his head.

"They have food and drink there. Think of it like dinner _and_ a show!" Tay explained with a grin.

Elio considered this; maybe it could be fun to go. After his near demise in the previous town, he was hesitant to do anything other than hide in his tent once he'd finished his work. However, on the other hand, when would he get another chance to see something like this?

Finally, he came to the conclusion that having a little fun would do him some good.

"Alright. Sure, count me in." Elio finally agreed.

"Great! Now come on, the boss man is providing drinks and snacks for everyone." Tay gestured for them to follow. Elio and Autumn quickly stopped what they were doing, getting up and going with him.

After the day had come to an end, the four of them went straight to the underground earthbending arena. Tay, who had been there more than the others, led the way there. After paying to get in, they all sat down in a row with Elio on one end and Sen on the other.

"Did you really have to invite the new guy, Tay? I get a weird feeling about him." Sen brought up. Tay raised an eyebrow at him.

"What're you talking about, Sen? Of course I invited him. He's with us now."

"He is _not_ with us. He's only here until he's got what he needs to move on. He's hiding where he's from, that much is obvious. And he doesn't really strike me as the hard labor type, does he?" Sen pointed out his observations.

"Well, no…but it doesn't matter. Just leave it alone. He seems fine to me." Tay shrugged it off before beginning to snack…

"Have you ever been to a tournament before?" Autumn asked Elio. He shook his head and took a bite of his meal.

"No. Never." He answered honestly.

"Oh, well it's simple. Two earthbenders will enter from either side of the ring. You win either by knockout or if you can knock the other man out of the ring. It's that simple." Autumn explained with a smile. Elio nodded.

"Alright. Let's see how it goes then."

What followed next was unlike anything Elio had ever seen. From the moment the ring announcer came out, the place became electric with excitement and energy. Each fight brought on unique battles and unorthodox fighting styles.

Elio found himself taking mental notes of what he was seeing. After all, he might end up facing earthbenders that fight like this in the future.

"Alright! Is everyone ready for the _main event_ of the night?!" The ring announcer shouted, to which the audience roared in response.

"We haven't even gotten to the main event yet?! The whole thing has been epic!" Elio exclaimed. Autumn giggled, joining in with the chanting crowd.

"To the ring, give a warm welcome to today's challenger for the title: The Purple Comet!" The announcer introduced the challenger, to which the audience cheered,

"And now, please welcome back to the ring your champion: The Blind Bandit!" The announcer shouted. The audience cheered and chanted.

Elio's eyes widened in shock as he watched what appeared to be a young girl walk up onto the ring. Was this small kid really the champion? How? Tay looked over and saw Elio's concern, and began to chuckle.

"Heheh, don't worry bud. The Blind Bandit never loses. I'd be more worried about that Comet guy if I were you." Tay said. Elio tilted his head at Tay but turned his attention back to the ring as the battle began.

The Purple Comet didn't hesitate to go on the offensive, summoning large boulders out of the ring and throwing them towards the Bandit. She hardly seemed concerned as she sidestepped each one easily. Elio's eyes widened in surprise yet again.

This girl was far more capable than she appeared.

The Purple Comet continued sending boulders her way. The Bandit began blocking them by creating walls out of the floor. She then created two large pillars of stone and began to rotate them in opposite directions, one in front of the other. She sent them both towards the Comet.

The Comet confidently stepped forward and threw a punch to break through both pillars. The momentum of the pillars pushed the Comet back, nearly making him slip over the edge. Once he was on the edge, the Bandit threw boulders back at him.

As the battle appeared to be reaching its climax, Elio's foot began to tap nervously. His body tensed more and more, accidentally creating a flame out of his heel. He heard Autumn giggle at him, and he turned towards her, nervous that she had felt the heat.

"Don't look at me, dummy, the fight's not over." She teased him. He turned his attention back to the fight and sighed in relief.

The Comet managed to recover from being off-balance. He dodged one boulder and caught another, throwing it back at the Bandit. To everyone's surprise, the boulder actually _hit_ her and caused her to slide back.

However, as quickly as it happened, she recovered, creating a slanted pillar out of the floor and knocking the Comet sideways out of the ring. The audience cheered at her victory. She raised both arms victoriously over her head.

"Nice!" Elio clapped and cheered too.

"That was a lot of fun! Thanks for inviting me, everyone." Elio said with an appreciative smile as the four of them left the arena.

"No problem, kid! Thanks for coming by!" Tay replied with a grin.

"Will we be seeing you back at work tomorrow, Elio?" Autumn asked. Elio nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be there. I guess I'll see you all then?"

"Yeah. We'll see you then." Sen nodded.

"Great. Well, you all have a good evening." Elio smiled and nodded before turning and breaking off from the group. He stepped cautiously so they wouldn't see the hole that he had accidentally burnt in the bottom of his shoe.

"You too, Elio," Autumn waved. "He's a nice guy. I hope he sticks around awhile."

Elio continued making his way through town, looking for the nearest exit so he could set up camp outside the city. The streets were relatively empty and quiet now that night had come. Elio's arms swung comfortably at his side as he walked.

" _I'm gonna need a new pair of shoes now."_ He thought to himself. That would be his first purchase with the money he'd earn from working at the Beifong residence.

Suddenly, he went on alert as he heard a familiar sound in his ear: the sound of crunching rock. He quickly turned just in time to dodge a boulder being sent his way. However, a second one slammed right into him, knocking him back and causing him to slide in the dirt.

"What do you think you're doing here, firebender?" A girl's voice demanded. Elio groaned in pain.

"Ow…what?"

"The Fire Nation's not welcome here! Get out!" She shouted again. Elio quickly got up just in time to dodge an earthquake attack, jumping up onto the nearby roof of a low building.

Elio was able to get a good look at his attacker: it was the Blind Bandit!

"What do you want with me?" Elio demanded.

"For you to get out and stay out!" She shouted, throwing another boulder up at him. Elio slid back down the other side of the roof to dodge it.

"What's going on out there?" The voice of an older man called out, stepping out into the street. The Blind Bandit quickly disappeared into the ground, giving Elio time to get out of town.

He waited nervously for her to come back, but she didn't, so he set up his camp outside the perimeter of the city.

But how had the Blind Bandit found him? How did she know that he was a firebender?


	6. Blind Trust

"Hey, Elio! Back for another day, huh?" Autumn smiled.

Elio stepped into the lobby feeling groggy and tired. After the incident last night with the Blind Bandit, he spent most of the night preparing to get attacked again. And even though an attack never came, he did not get much sleep as a result, which was now causing him to be late for work.

"Mhmm, yeah," He answered with a yawn, rubbing the stinging sleepiness out of his eyes. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"Yeah? You don't look so good though." She observed.

"What makes you say that?" Elio asked, brushing his nappy hair back. It awkwardly sprung back up and curled back down over his eyes. Autumn made a face at him.

"Just observing. C'mon, let's get going!" She said, taking his hand and pulling him along.

"Huh? What about reporting in the morning? Where is everyone?" Elio asked, looking around and realizing that they were the only ones in the lobby. She pulled him outside.

"Yeah, you missed the opening meeting. The boss told us that from now on going forward, everyone working at the Beifong residence will be meeting outside their gates in the morning. Everyone went along already, but I figured since you didn't get the memo, you'd show up here." She explained.

"Oh, I see. How thoughtful." Elio said with a yawn.

Autumn raised an eyebrow at him but said nothing else.

Working with limited rest in the heat was probably one of the worst feelings Elio had ever had the displeasure of experiencing. As if the work wasn't already bad enough, now he had to resist the urge to fall asleep on the floor.

"Need some help getting that stone in place, kid?" Tay offered to help, seeing that he was being very sluggish in sliding over a wide marble stone to place in the walkway.

"Hmm? No no, I got it." Elio politely refused, curling his fingers around the edges of the stone.

He awkwardly lifted it up just enough to bring it over its spot. He dropped one side down and dragged it into its spot. He let the other side go and it dropped down with a thud in its spot. Elio gave Tay a thumbs-up, but Tay just looked at him strangely.

"What's up with your new boyfriend?" Sen asked Autumn, "He's slowing us down."

"He's not my boyfriend, Sen, and I'm not sure what's wrong with him," She answered. "He seemed fine up until now. Something must've gone down between now and last night after we left the tournament." She guessed.

"Uhuh, well just tell him he needs to work faster." He replied dismissively, rolling his eyes.

"Why don't you tell him, since you're apparently the one in charge now?" Autumn snapped, annoyed by Sen's attitude. He just scoffed at her.

"If I were in charge, I'd just send him home. He's clearly not fit to be here today." He shrugged.

"Ah!" Elio yelped in pain, dropping the stone he had just picked up. He held onto his wrist and exhaled sharply in pain.

"What happened, kid?" Tay asked quickly.

"Nothing nothing, I was just being stupid. I bent my wrist awkwardly picking up one of the stones." Elio grumbled, moving his wrist around. He could feel the numbness starting to make its way up his forearm.

"Tch, pathetic, dude. Why would you even take this job if you're that weak?" Sen insulted him. Autumn quickly elbowed him in the arm.

"Shut your mouth, Sen! It was an honest mistake!" She defended him.

"You wanna take a break?" Tay offered.

"Uh…yeah. I'll just sit out for a minute and stretch out my wrist. I'll be back." He promised before stepping aside. Sen shook his head.

"Like I said, he doesn't need to be here today."

Elio made his way to a bench placed against one of the border walls of the residence and sat down. He hissed in annoyance as he stretched his wrist, moving it back and forth and in small circles.

At the very least, the sudden shock and pain was waking him up.

"I thought I told you to get outta town." An unfamiliar girl's voice spoke to him. Elio looked up in surprise. He was so focused on his wrist that he hadn't even noticed this girl walk up to him.

She was dressed in fine white clothes and was apparently walking around barefoot. Her dark hair was mostly tied back in a large bun. She couldn't have been any older than his sister. Her pale eyes stared downwards absently.

"I…I'm sorry?" He asked in confusion.

"Sounds like you need a reminder." She said threateningly, sliding her foot back and seemingly getting into an attack stance. Elio was about to ask an oblivious question, but then he recognized her voice and it clicked for him.

"You're the Blind Bandit…? You attacked me last night!" He realized.

"I did. You wanna tell me why you're still here, firebender?" She demanded. Elio swallowed. He would hate to admit it, but this girl was actually kind of intimidating; maybe because he already knew what she was capable of.

His best bet here would be to tell the truth.

"I'm just here to work. I need the money."

"What, the Fire Nation doesn't pay their soldiers enough anymore?" She questioned sarcastically.

"I'm not a Fire Nation soldier." He quickly answered.

"You're a firebender that's _not_ Fire Nation?"

"Well, no, I _am_ Fire Nation, but I'm _not_ a Fire Nation soldier… I ran away from home to avoid enlisting." He answered.

"You…ran away…" The girl repeated slowly.

"Please, I don't mean any harm. I'm just here until I have the money to move on." He pleaded.

However, before the girl could respond, Mr. Beifong himself suddenly came around the corner and rushed over, placing his hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, I told you not to come into the courtyard! There are people here working. You shouldn't be out here, especially without supervision." He scolded her. Elio quickly surmised that this was a father speaking to his daughter.

"I'm sorry, father. I must have gotten lost… This nice man here was going to find help while I waited here." She quickly lied, speaking in a completely different, much more fragile and confused manner.

"It's alright, honey… Thank you, sir…?" Mr. Beifong nodded appreciatively, wanting to address him by name but not knowing it.

"Elio, Mr. Beifong. My name is Elio." He answered, quickly standing up and bowing a bit in respect. Mr. Beifong nodded once again.

"Thank you, Elio, for stepping in to help my daughter. She is…unable to get around on her own due to her blindness." He explained. Elio nodded.

"I see…" Elio hummed, looking at her again. She turned her shoulders and shook her head once. Elio realized that this little girl was keeping a secret, but she was also keeping his secret. He would need to play along.

"You're very welcome, Mr. Beifong. It's a good thing I saw your daughter when I did. This helpless little girl was about to walk straight into one of the turtleduck ponds. The poor thing." Elio said with fake concern.

The girl's face scrunched up irritably, but she remained silent.

"Yes. In truth, this whole renovation project that I'm paying for is all for her. I want to ensure that she is safe here on the grounds and that there are no accidents." Mr. Beifong explained. Elio nodded in understanding.

"I'd do the same, sir. Well, I'll be getting back to work now." Elio said with a nervous chuckle, pointing back towards the others.

"Yes, yes, very well. Come on, dear, it's time for your earthbending exercises. The master's waiting." Mr. Beifong said to his daughter, taking her by the shoulders and beginning to guide her away.

However, she stopped, turning back towards the bench. Elio, who had already started to walk around them, saw this awkward pause and stopped.

"Thank you for helping me, Elio… My name is Toph, by the way." She introduced herself finally, extending her hand out towards the bench; a full 90 degree angle away from where he stood.

"Um… It was nice meeting you, Toph." Elio responded kindly, stepping back in front of her. He took her hand and shook it lightly, unsure what it was she wanted to get out of this.

"Very nice, dear. Now come, let's not keep the master waiting any longer." Mr. Beifong insisted, taking her and guiding her off again.

"Okay, father." Toph answered obediently, following her father's guidance.

"Oh, and Elio? I would appreciate your discretion in not mentioning to anyone your interaction with my daughter." Mr. Beifong suddenly requested in a firm tone.

"Understood, sir." Elio agreed right away, although he wasn't too sure why.

As they turned to leave, Toph subtly pointed a finger directly at Elio before they disappeared behind the corner.

Elio was left standing there for a few silent moments, processing this strange interaction that he'd just had. He was mostly just astonished that such a young, seemingly frail child could be such a fierce eathbender; the champion of an underground tournament.

"Hey!" Sen stepped out from the corner, gesturing him to come over. Elio walked over.

"Hey, Sen, right?" He recalled.

"Yeah. Rule number one, bud, never interact with the man paying for the job. Believe me, I know from experience how pretentious rich guys usually get. You didn't cost us the job, did you?" Sen asked. Elio shook his head.

"No."

"Good. Look… I'm sorry about what I said before. I think we're all just a little on edge because of this heat. Nothing personal, okay?" Sen asked, offering a handshake. Making peace in this way was a surprising gesture for Elio.

"Sure, Sen," Elio nodded in agreement, shaking his hand. "No hard feelings." He answered with a smile.

"Great. Now how about we get this work done, huh?" Sen suggested, gesturing back to the others with a turn of his head.

"I was gonna say the same thing. I think my wrist is better enough." He said with a faint chuckle.

"Cool…" Sen nodded, beginning to walk back. "Oh, uh, Autumn wanted me to tell you that the guys and I are having something of a bonfire tonight. You're welcome to come if you're feeling up for it."

"Alright. Thanks." Elio nodded.

The rest of the day went on without another incident. Elio did his best to mind his wrist. The others occasionally tried striking up conversation with him and asking him how his conversation with Mr. Beifong went, but his mind was too busy for him to really notice.

His mind was on Toph. He had a lot of questions, but most of them were nowhere near as important as the main question: Why had she covered for him? Why had she chosen to trust that he was telling the truth?

Elio packed up his things in his pack. He started making his way towards a forest away from the city. As he made his way there in silence, the sun was already almost fully set behind the horizon. That was when he heard a noise he was starting to become all too familiar with:

The sound of earthbending.

He quickly turned and dropped his pack on the ground, holding his hands up in preparation of a fight. However, when he turned, he saw nothing. No one was coming for him. And the sounds he had heard also went away.

"Huh…" Elio hummed suspiciously.

"Relax, hotfoot, it's just me." Toph's voice suddenly spoke, making him flinch in surprise. He turned to find Toph sitting on a rock dressed in her Blind Bandit gear. She casually rested her ankle on her other knee.

"Hotfoot?" Elio repeated oddly, standing a little more at ease now.

"That's how I found out you were a firebender. You bent fire through your foot back at the tournament." She explained.

"Oh… How did you know where to find me? I thought you were…you know." Elio asked.

"I am blind. But I can see things another way. Have a seat, hotfoot," She invited, bending another rock for him to sit on. Elio slid his foot back suspiciously.

"Relax. I'm not here to attack you this time. I just wanna talk. And ask you a few questions," She reassured him. It wasn't very reassuring, but Elio hesitantly sat down anyways. "And you better tell me the truth. I'll know if you're lying." She warned.

"Okay then." He agreed. She leaned back comfortably on her hands.

"That's a big pack you got on you. What are you, some kind of nomad?" Toph noticed.

"I'm just going from town to town. I'm not really making my way anywhere. I just don't want to stay in any one spot too long. I've been attacked enough times to know that's not a good idea." He commented.

"Yeah. You picked a real bad place to run away to, hotfoot. The Earth Kingdom probably hates the Fire Nation more than anyone else. Since, you know, most of the war happens here." She pointed out.

"Yeah, I don't need a reminder on that. I just didn't have much of a choice." Elio quickly answered back.

"Why did you run away? I've heard of firebenders doing all kinds of crazy, messed up stuff, but I've never heard of anyone ditching their country to avoid fighting in the war." Toph asked. Elio clasped his hands together.

"I…had to. I'm not oblivious to what the Fire Nation has done. It's never sat right with me. My father is a high-ranking general; I knew that he wanted me to join the fight. He never even considered the possibility that I would want to do something else with my life." Elio lamented.

"He put you in a box," Toph spoke up. "He already had a destiny picked out for you, and he expected you to go along with it even though you knew that it wasn't right. So you ran away to make your own path."

"…yeah. That's what I did… So you get it?" He asked.

"More than you probably think I do. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly the helpless little doll of a girl my dad thinks I am." She commented.

"Not really," Elio chuckled. "I saw what you can do at the tournament last night. You're honestly pretty impressive." He complimented her.

"Heheh, yeah I know," She chuckled and smiled proudly. "But he would never understand that. So…I keep it a secret." She explained in a more serious tone.

"I get it. If I were in his shoes, I can't imagine I'd be that different." He admitted honestly. Toph nodded in agreement.

"My father is overly concerned with my safety. He makes me stay within our walls. He hovers over me like I'm a baby. But I don't need protecting."

"Obviously." Elio agreed.

"I just wish they would listen to me. But I don't even know where I could start with them." She said, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Toph. My father's stubborn like that too. When I tried to bring up things I was interested in, he always dismissed them or didn't pay them much attention. Maybe if he hadn't, I wouldn't be out here now." Elio thought.

"Yeah… It must've been hard. Even though the Fire Nation's super bad, it couldn't have been easy giving up everything you had to do what's right." She considered.

"No it wasn't. I'm just figuring out how to deal with it now," Elio said before standing up. "Does that answer all of your questions?" He asked.

"It does," She answered, standing up as well. "I get it now. It all makes sense now. Thanks for not tryna lie to me."

"You're welcome," Elio replied oddly. "Thanks for not attacking me." He replied with a chuckle.

"Anytime." She responded with a chuckle.

"So…you really do believe me, huh?" Elio asked, surprised at how trusting she was being.

"Like I said, I'd be able to tell if you were lying,"

She hummed and opened up a hole in the ground. A sack shot up from the hole and she caught it.

"Umm, here. I figured you could use this since you said you're low on cash. You can take it and, you know, get outta town." She offered, holding out to him while turning her head away.

Elio's eyes widened in surprise. He stepped forward and took it from her. He opened it up and was shocked to see how much money there was inside. He exclaimed happily.

"Toph!"

"What?!"

"This is too generous! I can't take all of this!" He said.

"It's not that bad, jeez. It's not like my family's struggling or anything. Just take it and keep moving, alright?" She insisted. He nodded in agreement.

"Ok… Thank you. This really helps me more than I can say." He said genuinely. She smiled down at the ground.

"Yeah, you're welcome…baby wrists." She threw in a tease at the end.

"Tch, I'll take it." He chuckled, placing the money in his pack and securing it inside.

"Also…" She paused again, stepping to him and punching him forcefully in the arm.

"Ow!" He yelped, rubbing his arm.

"Stay safe out there. Whatever it is that you do wanna do with your life, I hope you get the chance to do it one day." She said sincerely. Elio smiled, still rubbing his arm.

"Yeah, thanks. You too, Blind Bandit." He replied in kind with an ironic chuckle. She scoffed and began to walk away.

Toph paused some paces away from Elio. Elio watched her. It seemed like she wanted to say something else. But rather than say it, she disappeared into a hole suddenly forming in the ground. It closed over her, and just like that she was gone.

"Elio! You finally made it!" Autumn smiled when she saw him approach the bonfire. She walked over to him and gave him a hug to greet him. He smiled and hugged back with one arm, setting his pack down.

"Hey. I had a little trouble finding you guys, but when I saw the smoke I figured it out." He answered with a chuckle.

"Glad you could make it, kid!" Tay said with a laugh. "Come on! The food's fresh out the fire!" He invited, gesturing him over.

"Alright, I'm starving!" Elio grinned.

Elio ended up being glad that he had accepted the invitation. It was fun to wind down with some food and some friends. Well, they weren't really his friends, but for the time being, they felt like friends. It was a nice change from getting attacked by earthbenders every other day.

"Alright, alright, everyone. I'm bringing this out," Sen chuckled, reaching back and pulling out a pipa: a pear-shaped, lute-like instrument. The others began to laugh and get riled up teasingly. "Who's singing the first song?"

"I think that honor should go to our newest regular." Tay suggested, slapping Elio on the back.

"What? Oh ho no thank you." Elio sheepishly tried to refuse, shaking his hands. However, the others all began to groan and insist in an encouraging yet teasing way. Elio quickly began to feel the peer pressure.

"Uh, n-no, I'm not talented like that. I don't even know that many songs." Elio continued to refuse.

"They aren't gonna let up on ya unless you sing something." Autumn chuckled, encouraging him with a nudge of her elbow.

"Give us a song, kid!" Tay laughed. Elio swallowed.

"Um, okay... I do know one song. Um, Sen, could you just play a bouncy little…?" Elio requested, humming two notes for Sen to play. Sen's fingers slid down the neck of the pipa and he began to play the notes.

"Yeah, like that. Just back and forth." Elio said, moving his hands up and down in rhythm.

"Alright, kid, don't screw up now." Tay teased. Elio swallowed, letting Sen play a little before forcing himself to start singing:

" _My lady Spring is coming, the dawn will bring her song. The spirit of a flower, she flies above the western wall. Ooh-ooh, the rain will fall._

" _She blooms her painted petals and crowns a king. And once the storm has settled, the birds will join to sing and call. Ooh-ooh, the rain will fall. She will call, ooh-ooh, the rain will fall._

" _Pleasure is my pleasure, I'm pleased to see the clouds depart. Passion is my passionate flame, oh she's a work of art._

"Alright, I'm done, please." Elio stopped just as everyone was beginning to clap along to the rhythm. He held up his hands and chuckled nervously, sitting back down. There was a mix amongst the others of laughter, applause, and disappointed groaning.

"Aww but it was just getting good!" Autumn laughed.

"Not bad. Where'd you learn that one?" Sen asked curiously with a chuckle.

"Uh, just an old song my mother liked." He answered.

"Nice job, kid," Tay smacked him on the back again. "You just made me some money." He said with a laugh.

"What?" Elio asked.

"Tay and I had a bet going as to whether or not you would actually give in," Sen revealed. "And it looks like I lost." He revealed with a chuckle and shrug.

"You guys are so mean." Autumn giggled. Elio groaned and shook his head with an amused scoff.

"Thanks again for inviting me, guys. I had a really good time." Elio smiled thankfully as he began walking back with Tay, Sen, and Autumn.

"No problem! It was Sen's idea to invite you." Autumn giggled.

"Really?" Elio asked in surprise.

"No…" Sen denied it, turning away in embarrassment.

"Consider it a warm welcome to our crew!" Tay laughed. Elio smiled, but then he turned towards them.

"Uhh, guys, I do appreciate the thought behind it, but I'm actually going to be moving on. I'm starting on my trek to the next town tonight." Elio informed them. The others nodded silently, seemingly disappointed by this news.

"Oh. I see." Autumn commented.

"Ah. Well, it was nice having you while it lasted, bud. Be careful out there." Tay said, patting him on the back with a smile.

"Yeah." Sen agreed. The two brothers continued on, but Autumn lingered a little longer.

"Take care." Elio said with a polite smile, offering a handshake to her. She shook it in return.

"You too, Elio… Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I'm just moving on now," He admitted. "I came into some cash; enough to get me by for awhile. That's the only reason I came to work, after all."

"Right, yeah, of course," She nodded. "Well, hey, if you're ever around again, look us up, will ya?" She said, managing a smile as she began to back away.

"I will." Elio nodded and waved. She waved back and then turned around and went on her way.

Elio sighed to himself. For the first time since he had left, he had actually had a nice time, and he'd found potential friendships that maybe could have been long-lasting if he were to give them more time. However, that just didn't seem like a smart option for him. He'd be taking too big of a risk.

So he turned towards the next trail and began walking…


	7. Art of the Staff

Elio quietly made his way down the trail as it snaked through a tall, thick forest. Birds were chirping above him and bugs were buzzing around him. There were no settlements in sight through the trees. He felt completely immersed in the natural atmosphere.

It was quite literally the opposite of the surroundings he was used to back home.

As Elio made his way around a bend in the trail, he heard the sounds of rustling leaves. He quickly turned around and raised his fists up, but he saw no one. He looked towards some nearby bushes and cautiously began to approach them.

However, he was quickly blindsided by getting hit in the face by someone unseen. He was quickly pushed to the ground in a blinded daze. He tried to use his firebending to defend himself, but he heard nothing else. His assailant must have already run off.

"Agh great!" Elio yelled, turning onto his side and rubbing the water out of his eyes that had come from the blunt hit to the nose he had received. He began feeling around for his things…

His bag and money pouch had been taken.

"Great!" Elio yelled louder, slamming his fist on the dirt. As he regained his senses, he got up to his feet. Words couldn't accurately express how angry he was; how brutally he was chastising himself for allowing this to happen.

"Looks like you got caught with your guard down, kid." An unfamiliar voice chuckled ironically. Elio rubbed his eyes with his arm and turned towards the voice.

Just a few strides down the trail stood an older man with dark skin and his long hair braided and tied back. His clothes were well taken care of but modest. He carried a long staff-like walking stick in his right hand. As he walked forward, he walked with a limp and used it to support his weight.

"Did you see that happen?" Elio asked.

"I didn't, but I saw a man with a mask run past. Then I saw you writhing on the ground and put two and two together." He explained with a cackle. Elio growled and shook his head, brushing his hair back.

"Yeah, well, now I need to find that creep. So if you'll excuse me." Elio said dismissively, getting ready to walk past him. However, the old man protested.

"And how do you expect to find him? The only thing you saw was the inside of your own eyelids." He pointed out in the same humorous tone.

"I'll figure it out!" Elio shouted impatiently. The old man smiled and shook his head, turning and walking in step just behind him.

"Come with me, son. I'll fix you a meal and give you some assistance." He invited.

"I appreciate your offer, but I can't allow the man to get away with my stuff! All of my money and personal belongings were in that bag he took." Elio pointed out, gesturing forward. The old man nodded.

"A fair point. But you still have your pack. There's, what, camping gear and some food in there? You'll manage for a little while with those. At least for now. Please, let me help you." He insisted. Elio sighed unhappily and agreed reluctantly.

"Fine. Lead the way."

"Please excuse my mess. I wasn't expecting to be taking anyone in today." The man apologized as they entered into a small shack of a home not far from the rest of town. It was indeed messy inside, but it also seemed barren, lacking a lot of decorations and other homey touches.

"It's alright… This is the nearest town from the spot where I was attacked?" Elio asked.

"It is. Do you think you'll find the perpetrator somewhere in the city?" The man wondered.

"Where else could I find him? I need to start looking." Elio said, turning back towards the door.

"Yes yes, maybe this time he won't sneak up on you," The old man teased. "It's wise to fight an opponent on equal terms, but it is never wise to go seeking out a fight."

"So what am I supposed to do?! I'm not just gonna sit here!" Elio shouted again.

"You're right. You're going to sweep," The man smiled, walking over and grabbing a broom from a rack on the wall. He tossed it over to Elio. "I'd appreciate it if you tidied up the floor before we eat. Just sweep the dust outside." He instructed.

"Fine," Elio took the broom. "But after we eat, I'm going." He decided. Silently, Elio got to sweeping, mulling and seething over his anger.

The old man shook his head in disapproval and began to make their food.

When the meals were prepared and the plates made, the man set the table for them. Elio finished sweeping the dining room and the kitchen, forcefully brushing all the dust outside.

"Thank you very much, young man. Go ahead and wash your hands. Dinner is served." He smiled. Elio nodded and went to wash his hands.

"Thank you… You haven't told me your name." Elio realized.

"It's Rala. And what's yours?" The old man asked in return.

"Elio. My name is Elio." He introduced himself, drying his hands off and sitting at the table.

"Really?" Rala smiled to himself, "I like that name. It refers to the sun, you know."

"Yeah… I knew that." Elio said awkwardly.

His father had chosen the name Elio, which meant sun, to honor the deep history of the Fire Nation rooting all the way back to the dragons and the Sun Warriors. He recalled back to the times his father would tell him how all firebenders rise and draw power from the hot sun.

But of course, he couldn't tell this old man that.

"It's always good to know such origins. The meaning of my name isn't as nice as yours," He laughed. "Anyways, I know you're eager to get out there again and find the man who stole from you, but personally, I don't think you're ready for that fight." He admitted.

"Why do you say that? He got the upper hand on me because I wasn't expecting him. That won't happen again." Elio said surely.

"While this may be true, he carries a weapon. You do not. Not yet anyways." Rala smiled. Elio glanced at him strangely.

"What?"

"So it's decided then. I will give you a weapon, teach you how to use it, and then you will face your opponent in the morning."

"Hey hey woah, what are you talking about?" Elio asked in confusion.

"Ah, it's been so long since I've had a student. Finish your food and then meet me out back. Leave your things here. Take the broom with you." Rala instructed, getting up from the table and taking his food and drink with him. Elio watched him slowly limp out of the room.

When Elio finished his food, he stood up and cleaned the plate off with water. He looked towards the door, ready to step out and begin his search for the thief. But curiosity was pulling him towards this eccentric old man who seemed to want to help him, even if he was strange and sarcastic in nature.

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Elio said to himself as he grabbed the broom he'd used before and went out back to meet Rala.

Rala sat on a chair waiting for him, his empty plate and cup sitting to the side on the ground. He smiled as Elio approached, getting up slowly. As he struggled, Elio quickly stepped forward and offered his hand out. Rala took it and allowed Elio to help him stand fully.

"Thank you, Elio. So, you came after all. That's good. Why, I wonder?" He indirectly asked.

"You've been helping me out. I don't know… You seem to know what you're talking about, but not sharing everything with me up front." Elio observed. Rala smiled.

"And right you are. Please, remove the bristle end of the broom." He instructed. Elio placed the handle end of the broom in the dirt and unscrewed the other side.

"Okay?" Elio nodded, setting the bristle part down.

"This handle will be your training weapon. Follow me." Rala gestured for Elio to follow him. They walked to a tree trunk that had been cut from the top, leaving it only slightly taller than Elio. Rala gestured for him to approach the tree.

"You're teaching me how to fight with a staff?" Elio asked.

"Ah, you finally figured it out! Well done! Yes, I'm going to show you how to fight with a staff. Start by getting into a wide stance. Bend your knees." Rala instructed. Elio did so, and Rala slowly made his way around him.

"The art of the staff was developed by non-benders, but airbenders were actually the ones that originally perfected it. However, when used properly, the staff is a universal weapon; bender or no, any member of any nation can utilize it.

"Your stance is an earthbending stance, and how you will move your body will be a combination of earth and fire. You must keep your movements strong and firm, deliberate. You must plant your root and make it unshakeable as firebenders do.

"The staff and how you move it is where water and air come into play. Your movements generate the force you need to strike. You must always be moving and adapting, balancing between blocking and attacking, and constantly switching back and forth between the two.

"Grip the staff firmly with both hands in the center. You will strike the trunk with one side then the other. Use your wrists, your forearms, and twist at the waist for maximum strength." Rala instructed.

Elio nodded, taking a deep breath and following his instructions. He twisted his hips and struck the tree. The broomstick smacked into the trunk with a loud crack! He felt the vibrations in his hand like a slight burning sensation.

"Good! Now again, the other way!"

Elio's instruction lasted through the entire night. The palms of his hands were soon red from striking the tree trunk as he learned different points to strike and different ways to approach each strike point.

"Strike with confidence. Picture your next move clearly in your head and then carry it out."

Next he learned stances and steps; when to advance and when to step back, striking and counterstriking, how to anticipate and plan moves in advance. Without realizing it, Elio was learning how treat every fight like a strategy game.

"Strike! Strike! Strike!" Rala instructed again and again. Elio gripped the broomstick tightly and continued swinging it against the trunk of the tree. Again and again the cracks echoed around them until finally the end of the broomstick broke off.

"Very good, Elio. Now rest. I've taught you all you need to know for now." Rala smiled proudly, sitting down again.

Elio dropped what was left of his broomstick and fell to his knees. He sat back in the dirt, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Rala held out some water to drink. He took it and he gulped it down quickly.

"Ohh my hands are burning!" Elio hissed in discomfort, rubbing his red palms against his pant legs to scratch away the pained burning sensations. Rala chuckled a bit.

"Here," He said, getting up and bringing over a bucket of water for him to dip his hands into. "Cool your hands in this." He offered. Elio quickly dipped his hands in it, sighing in relief as the cold water soothed his itching.

"Thank you. You just had this on hand?" Elio asked. Could it be possible that this man had anticipated being his teacher before he even arrived?

"Yeah, I was doing some mopping in the bedroom just the other day." Rala answered with a smile.

"Ugh…" Elio pulled his hands out of the dirty cleaning water and wiped them off the best he could on his pants.

"You've been quite the student, son. Not exactly a prodigy, but perhaps the humblest of all my students, and thus the easiest to teach. You should be proud." Rala complimented.

"Thank you…" Elio replied oddly, rubbing his hands together as they slowly relaxed.

"Tell me, Elio, where is it that you're going? Where is your destination?" Rala asked curiously. Elio looked down at the water, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Nowhere really. I'm just…going from one town to the next." He answered.

"I see. There's nothing wrong with traveling and seeing the world. But one never does anything without a purpose. What is your purpose?" Rala asked, clasping his hands together. Elio's eyebrows furrowed.

What was his purpose for doing this? Sure, he was avoiding something he didn't want, but in exchange for what? What did he expect to get out this, being out on his own this way…?

"Survival. Everything I've been doing has been to live another day. That's… That's it."

"Interesting." Rala hummed. Elio looked up at his teacher.

"Why are you doing this? Why have you taught me all of this?" Elio asked, looking up at him. Rala's expression grew more serious, but his demeanor remained warm.

"There's a number of reasons why. You will learn them in your own time. All you need to know now is your staff will be a tool in your tool belt. Use it wisely and when necessary," Rala advised, standing up now.

"Come with me. The sun will be rising soon. It is time for you to choose your staff and face the man who attacked you." He said. Elio stood up, using the broomstick to help himself stand before leaving it behind.

Rala led Elio inside the house again. He took him to another training room that had gone unused for a long time. Inside this room, a rack full of staffs made of different materials was propped up on the wall. Rala invited Elio to choose his staff.

"Are all of these yours?" Elio asked.

"I have a bit of a collection. But when a student of mine has taken the time to learn from me, I let them choose their first staff. Choose wisely. Pick one that suits you."

Elio looked carefully through the staffs. At first, he planned on picking out one of the thickest or one of the longest staffs, but then he noticed a lot of the staffs were made of wood. That wouldn't mix well with his firebending…

"This one." Elio decided, picking out a metal staff that was painted black. Rala nodded in approval.

"I think you've made the right choice... The man who stole your things: his name is Josin. He works in a small little shop on the other side of town. It's called the Scarlet Dragon. You'll find him there. I'll leave the rest to you."

"I see… So you _knew_ where to find him this whole time and you didn't tell me?" Elio turned towards him.

"It's like I said before, you needed to be ready to face him. With this staff, now you will have equal footing. Now go." Rala urged. Elio nodded.

"Okay… Thank you, Rala. I really appreciate it."

"Do good out there, my student." Rala encouraged.

Elio nodded, bowing to him in respect before taking his things and leaving with his new staff.

Elio entered into the Scarlet Dragon with his staff in his hand and his pack hidden somewhere else. He walked inside and approached the front counter.

"I'm looking for Josin." He said to the gentleman on the other side of the counter.

"Josin! You got someone who wants to see ya!" The man shouted. Josin made his way around to the front and locked eyes with Elio.

Josin was a young man about Elio's age. He had light skin and light brown hair combed to the side. He immediately recognized Elio when he saw him. Elio stared him down.

"I'd like to speak with you outside." He said simply before making his way out into the street to wait for him.

Elio waited in the street, holding his new staff in his right hand. He moved it around a little to feel out the weight. He spun it around once and then turned back towards the shop, waiting for Josin to come out. No one came out the front door, but a figure in the corner of his left eye caught his attention.

"How did you find me?" Josin asked, standing in the alley between the shop and another building. He carried two custom knives in his hands. Elio stepped into the alley.

"Did you spend my money?" Elio questioned. Josin scoffed.

"It's not your money anymore, bud. Just because you got a pipe in your hands now; that doesn't change anything. You should just keep going on your way. Otherwise you'll get hurt worse than last time." Josin calmly threatened him. Elio raised an eyebrow at him.

"I want my things back. Everything you stole." Elio stated.

"You hear what I just said? You really wanna fight?" Josin questioned.

"I'm not asking, Josin." Elio said firmly. Josin shook his head and raised his knives up, getting into a ready stance. Elio sighed in irritation and raised his staff, holding it sideways in his right hand.

Josin curled and uncurled his fingers around the handles of his knives, nervousness beginning to set in. Elio took hold of the center of his staff with both hands and began to spin it slowly as Josin advanced. Elio continued to stare him down as he hesitated.

Finally, Josin attempted to strike him, swinging one knife at him. Elio smacked his hand away with the staff. Josin attacked with his other hand. Elio flicked the other end of the staff upwards, knocking the knife out of Josin's left hand.

As the knife spiraled in the air, Elio took a cautious step back. Josin attempted to slice Elio in the legs. Elio lifted his leg up to avoid it, turning and slamming his shoulder into Josin. Josin stumbled, but advanced again and attempted to stab him in the side.

Elio stepped backwards to avoid the knife, smacking Josin in the head with the staff. As Josin stumbled back, Elio spun around and swung the staff sideways at his head. It cracked Josin in the side of his head, causing him to fall to the ground quickly.

"Not so fun when it's a fair fight, is it?" Elio clicked his tongue, turning him over with his foot. Josin, still holding his knife, started to raise it again, but Elio pinned his hand down with his foot.

"Agh! Alright, alright, fine! I have your stuff! Just let me get it!" Josin yielded.

"I think that would be a good idea," Elio said, offering a hand to him. Josin looked at him strangely but allowed Elio to help him up. "Go on now." Elio gestured for him to go. Josin quickly scurried inside to get Elio's things and give them back.

Elio spun his staff around again, looking at it and nodding smugly to himself. He walked behind the shop, using the staff as a walking stick. As he waited, he couldn't help but chuckle a little…

Elio began to make his way out of town with all of his belongings intact and in his bag around his shoulder. He walked with his staff in hand, happy to be moving on. As he approached the edge of town, he found Rala waiting for him to see him off.

"I trust that your encounter went well." Rala observed with a smile, seeing that Elio had his belongings once again and that he had a relieved smile on his face.

"Yes. I made short work of the man who attacked me. With any luck, he'll think twice before doing the same to anyone else again." Elio reported. Rala nodded in approval.

"Very good."

"You said that I would have equal footing, but it didn't feel much like a fair fight," Elio chuckled ironically. "I think you may have taught me more than I really needed."

"Haha, well, a weapon is only as useful as the skill of the one who wields it. In time, you may find an opponent who is more of a challenge, and you'll be happier to have your staff on hand," Rala said. Elio nodded in understanding.

"Always remember, the staff is a defensive weapon. It is to settle matters, not to strike fatal blows." Rala reminded him.

"I will remember… Thank you for teaching me. I won't soon forget it. I just wish I understood why you gave this to me." Elio said, looking at his staff and holding it up. Rala chuckled a bit while keeping a serious expression.

"One day, you will learn the answer. Not today though. Today, just enjoy your gift. I see that you are setting off once again." Rala observed next. Elio nodded.

"Yes. I was just passing through really. I didn't want to stay this long. And while I am tired, it's time for me to move on."

"I understand. The life you lead is a difficult one, my young firebending friend." Rala said with a smile. Elio's eyes widened in shock.

"You knew?!" He exclaimed.

"From the very beginning. You resorted to your bending when you panicked before."

"You knew I was a firebender and yet you still decided to take me in as your student?" Elio asked. Rala smiled and sighed.

"War is a funny thing, Elio. It has a way of taking the humanity out of people in the quest for victory. You forget that there are men and women on the other side. In some ways, perhaps it's better to view them as evil creatures so that you sleep better at night.

"Of course, that's not really your way, is it? I can tell that you'd rather be at peace. That is why I've given you the staff. You cannot have peace without having balance: balance within yourself, and balance within the world.

"May that staff protect you, but may it also serve as a reminder to you the need to be balanced in all things. Without balance, there is no peace; and without peace, we are brought into war." Rala imparted. Elio's eyebrows furrowed a bit.

"I…I'm not sure I understand."

"Give it time, my student. I look forward to seeing you again." Rala smiled warmly, placing the open palm of his left hand against his fist. He bowed forward; the traditional Fire Nation bow. Elio bowed the same way in return.

"I hope one day that's the case. I see I have more to learn from you." Elio realized.

"When you are ready. For now, you have all that you need. Take care, Elio. Do be careful out there." Rala said, walking to him and patting him on the arm before slowly walking back into town. Elio turned and watched him go.

"You too." Elio said softly in reply before turning back and going on his way…


	8. Longings & Regrets

Elio quietly made his way up a steep plain, his things in his pack and his staff in his hand. As he approached the top, he found a nice open space between the trees to make camp. From the top of the plain, he could see the next town he would be passing through tomorrow.

However, today was to be dedicated to training.

After setting up his camp, he removed his upper layers of clothing so that nothing would get caught on the moved the staff around to feel its weight again. He began to slowly spin it around, passing it back and forth between his hands.

Because it was made of metal, it was a bit heavier than a traditional wooden staff. Therefore, Rala informed him that he would have to put even more concentration and dedication into his training exercises.

As he begun to spin it faster and from side to side, his mind went back to Rala's words about the staff; how it was meant to serve as his reminder about the importance of maintaining balance within himself.

In this uncertain time in his life, that was going to be a challenge. He wasn't even sure it was possible…

Back in the Fire Nation, emphasis was placed on willpower and strength, not inner balance. Elio figured that was likely because every firebender was taught to have the same purpose: serving the Fire Lord and winning the war.

It reminded Elio of his days in firebending basic training.

" _Good, Elio! Keep control of your breathing! Strike with conviction! Visualize your target and attack!" His teacher would instruct him. Yes, even before puberty, he was learning how to fight with the intent to win…with the intent to kill._

"Come on, Elio, you're one of the most naturally gifted firebenders in the class. You should be showing off and working your way up the ranks faster!" Cassian, his best friend at the time, told him once.

"Yeah, maybe…but I just like being here with my friends. Besides, if I work up the ranks, then I'll have to train with the bigger kids." Elio pointed out to him.

"Oh yeah. Nevermind." Cassian laughed.

Cassian was Elio's best friend back in the Fire Nation. Their fathers were friends who happened to be close in rank. As a result, the two children saw a lot of each other in school, in training, and at each other's homes.

"Yeah. You wanna see a cool trick?" Elio offered. Elio and Cassian made their way towards the open area right next to Elio's home where they would often play and practice their firebending together.

"Sure! Whatchu got for me?" Cassian asked. Elio motioned for him to stay in place. He then took a couple steps back.

"Watch this." Elio said with a faint smirk, taking a breath and getting into a wide stance.

Elio created a stream of fire with just two fingers. It stretched out like a string and began to expand at the end. Elio tensed his body as he tried to control the shape of the fire. However, it ended up just flaring up and creating a big burst at the end of the string.

"Woah! That was cool!" Cassian laughed. Elio growled a bit.

"That wasn't what I wanted to do. I was trying to do the Taming The Dragon trick! I nearly had it before!" Elio whined a bit. Cassian chuckled and shook his head.

"You'll get it, Elio. Besides, if you ask me, what you just did there was way cooler. That would be an awesome trick to use in a battle!" Cassian exclaimed.

"Yeah, I guess." Elio shrugged and smiled.

"Hey, Elio," Taiga, Elio's younger sister, waved as she hurried over to join them. "Did you fail the Dragon trick again?"

"Shut up, Taiga!" Elio shouted in embarrassment, "I'm getting closer!"

"Yeah, closer to burning the house down." She teased him with a laugh. Cassian laughed too.

"Hahaha! Oh, I'm sorry, Elio, but that was a good one!" Cassian cackled. Elio rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Oh hey, since you guys are doing tricks, can I show you a trick? I saw Princess Azula do it today at school!" Taiga offered.

"Uh, yeah, fine. Show us what you got." Elio hesitantly agreed. He didn't want to hear a scolding from his parents if he told her no.

"You should've seen it, guys! She actually got into a _fight_ with Ula, one of the girls in my class!" Taiga said, stretching her arms out to emphasize how crazy the story was.

"Who would be crazy enough to fight with the Fire Lord's daughter?" Cassian wondered aloud.

"Someone with no brain!" Taiga laughed, "I don't know what they were fighting about; some people said it was about food or a toy or a boy. I don't know. But then I saw her do this!" Taiga turned to quickly demonstrate what she saw.

Taiga stretched out her hand with a quick flick of her wrist. Several flickering embers shot out of her hand and suddenly popped loudly like gunpowder.

"Wow! Neat! But how would that hurt?" Elio asked, tilting his head.

"I didn't say she _hurt_ her, but those pops were right in her face! I know Ula had something in her eye after that. At least!" Taiga nodded surely.

"The Fire Lord's kids don't mess around. Especially Azula." Elio commented and shook his head.

"Haha, right? Your tricks are cool, but I prefer the strong approach. Overwhelm the enemy!" Cassian said proudly, turning and shooting a huge gulf of fire out of his fist.

"Woah!" Elio and Taiga both exclaimed in surprise at the raw intensity of Cassian's fire blast.

"Haha, yeah!" Cassian laughed, turning back towards the others. He proudly placed his fists on his hips and grinned,"See? Now _that's_ firebending!"

"Yeah, idiot, you just set that tree on fire!" Elio pointed out.

Cassian turned around and saw that he had accidentally aimed his impressive fire blast towards a nearby tree, and it was now on fire. Taiga shrieked.

"Ah, grab the water buckets!" She shouted, running towards the house…

Elio chuckled to himself. He had many fond memories like that with Cassian. He had other friends back then too, of course, but none of them made as much of an impact as he did. They were inseparable for a long time.

Elio's weaker wrist tweaked awkwardly from the spinning of the staff. This caused him to accidentally hit himself in the back of his right leg. He growled in sharp pain, taking the staff in his other hand and relaxing.

He couldn't help but wonder what Cassian would say to him now. What would he say if he could see Elio now? After all they'd been through together, Elio running away would no doubt be a shocking blow to him, as it probably was to everyone.

He clearly missed more things about the Fire Nation than he realized.

"Prepare yourself!" Elio shouted in an overdramatic manner. He crouched into a wide stance and positioned his hands like an earthbender would.

"Ha! You are no match for me!" Taiga shouted back with similar theatricality, sliding one foot back and getting in a stylish firebending stance.

"Surrender, or today you will breathe your last breath." Elio threatened, quoting from action-packed climax of their favorite play.

"Destiny will decide that!" Taiga immediately shouted back.

They both smirked.

Elio let Taiga make the first move. She fired off several blasts of fire, stepping forward each time. Elio easily blocked each one, flicking each burst away. He created two flames in each hand, bringing them together and shooting a strong burst at her.

Taiga sidestepped Elio's attack, flipping around and shooting a slice of fire through her spin kick. Elio stepped back to dodge it, sliding around on his foot and throwing two kicks in return. Both kicks sent forth fireballs.

Taiga ducked down to dodge the first fireball. She reached out for the second one, bending the fire in a half-circle and sending it back towards Elio. Elio, not expecting this, took his own attack to the chest and was pushed backwards.

"Woah! Nice!" Elio complimented, brushing his clothes off and getting into his stance once again. Taiga scoffed confidently.

"Ha!" Taiga grunted, throwing more firebending slices at him. Elio knew that slices were her go-to attack.

Elio strategically tried to dodge her attacks while also advancing towards her. He sidestepped one, ducked under another, and jumped over the last one. He twisted his body in the air, creating a rope of fire and cracking it backwards like a whip at Taiga.

Taiga, however, when she realized what Elio was trying to do, began to advance towards him as well. She sidestepped the whip attack and was right on top of Elio when he landed.

"Gotcha!" Taiga smirked as she stepped into Elio's space. Elio, who still hadn't recovered from his landing, looked up to see Taiga with her fist in front of his face, "Looks like I win this time."

"It looks like you do," Elio chuckled and stood up. "Nice job, Taiga." He smiled, bowing to her with a traditional Fire Nation bow.

"I did pretty good, didn't I?" Taiga beamed proudly, bowing back.

"You've got better instincts than I do when it comes to sparring, that's for sure. But we're still dead even when it comes to battles. Don't get too cocky yet." He teased her, wrapping an arm around her and hugging her from the side.

"Uhuhuhuh. Whatever, Elio. Let's go again and then I'll be better than you!" She challenged with a laugh. Elio rolled his eyes and shook his head with a smile.

"Kids, it's time to come inside for dinner!" Their father called to them from the house.

"Saved by the dad." Taiga giggled and ran towards the house. Elio chuckled and followed behind at a walking pace.

"Son, just a moment, please?" His father held his hand up after Taiga had already gone inside. Elio stopped.

"Yes, father?"

"I was watching you two spar just now. You both have really grown in your skill. I just want to let you know that I'm very proud of the both of you, and I wanted to commend you for giving your sister someone to practice with." He said with a proud smile, patting a hand on Elio's shoulder.

"Thank you, father. Now that Taiga is older, she's actually starting to be a challenge too." Elio chuckled humorously.

"You're both formidable in your own ways. You two will make fine assets to the Fire Nation army one day. I'm sure of it." He said confidently. Elio's eyes furrowed a bit.

"The army?"

"Of course, son," His father nodded. He crouched down in front of him, now at about eye level with him. "As we speak, Elio, there's a war going on in the world. The Fire Nation is trying to bring security to the four nations. I've taken an oath to do all I can to help us win, and I've kept that in mind when raising you both.

"You and your sister are gifted and talented. Use those talents wisely, my son. I know you will do great things for our nation." He said with a smile. Elio nodded seriously, thinking deeply about this.

"I see… But that's kind of a lot, dad." He said awkwardly, shifting his weight.

"I know. But you're getting older now, Elio. Soon it will be time for you to step up. I just want you to remember that." He repeated.

"Okay, father." Elio nodded. Sol smiled again, patting his son on the shoulder as he stood up.

"Come, let's help your mother set the table now." He said, leading Elio inside. As they entered, Taiga came running back.

"Mom says the food is ready!" She informed them.

"Alright. We're on our way there," Sol smiled and nodded. "Taiga, I saw you and Elio sparring just now. You're getting so much better at firebending! I'm very proud, sweetie." He complimented her too.

"Thanks, daddy!" Taiga happily grinned and hugged him before running back to the dining room…

Elio sighed and shook his head. Those memories carried a bittersweet meaning now. He could only imagine what his family thought of him now. His father, his mother, his sister… He missed them very much. He looked at their picture almost every night.

Elio took his staff in both hands again, approaching a strong tree. He got down into a wide stance and began to strike the tree, twisting at the waist to put more force into each strike. He struck harder and harder, venting out his emotions through each forceful blow.

"Elio, honey! Cassian is here to see you!" His mother called to him. Elio, who was busy putting his room in order, quickly jumped up and brushed his hair back.

"O-Okay, just give me a minute!" Elio said, quickly putting what he had in his hands away and rushing out to greet his friend.

As he entered into the living room, he found his best friend waiting for him, but his clothing was different. Cassian was wearing a Fire Nation military uniform. Elio's eyes widened in shock. Cassian smiled warmly, hugging him.

"Hey, man. Long time no see, huh?" Cassian said with an ironic chuckle. Elio, still dumbfounded, patted Cassian on the back.

"Yeah. Long time… Are you wearing what I think you're wearing?"

"Yep! It's official. I've joined the cause," Cassian said with a laugh. "What do you think? Do I kill this uniform, or do I _kill_ this uniform?" He smiled, holding his arms up and doing a confident spin. Elio chuckled and shook his head.

"Haha, yeah man, it looks good on you. I didn't know you hadenlisted. I would've, you know, tried to support you more." Elio said with some regret.

"It's okay. I know you were busy. Besides, I wanted to surprise you! How've you been doing? It's been a bit since I've seen you. You'll be graduating soon, won't you?" Cassian asked. Elio nodded.

"Yeah. Just a few more months now."

"Well hey, let me just say congrats now, man! You were always better at the book studies than me. Nerd." He teased lightly with a smile. Elio chuckled and smiled.

"So you're a man in uniform now, huh? How does it feel?" He asked.

"I'm nervous man, but I'm also anxious! Like excited anxious! I can't wait to get out there and fight! This is what I've been training my whole life for, you know?" Cassian expressed his excitement. It was hard for Elio to imagine being excited by fighting in the war, but he still wanted to be supportive.

"I know, man. Be safe out there. When do you ship out?" Elio asked.

"In a few days," Cassian answered, his smile fading some. "I came here to say goodbye, actually." He revealed.

"Oh," Elio said sadly. "So you won't be around when I graduate, huh?"

"I'm afraid not. But hey, when the party comes around, I expect you to go wild for the both of us." Cassian said with a laugh. Elio chuckled and shook his head.

"Yeah yeah, I will. I'm gonna miss you, man. Stay safe out there." Elio said as they took hold of each other's arms in a brotherly way.

"No promises," Cassian chuckled. "I'm concerned for you though, man. Have you…told your dad about what we talked about? About…you know, how you want to be a firebending performer or something like that?" He asked hesitantly. Elio's expression darkened sullenly.

"You know my dad, Cassian. He'd never let me go for that… Honestly, I've been too scared to tell him. Like it or not, I've been training my whole life for the same thing as you. I don't seem to have much of a choice." Elio shook his head hopelessly.

"Hey, come on, Elio. Give your dad some more credit. He's a great man. He's been something of a father to me as well, you know. I'm sure if you just lay it all out to him honestly, you two could come to something of an understanding." Cassian said, trying to encourage him. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know, man," Elio sighed. "You know it's not that easy for me."

"I know. I hope that you figure it out, Elio. If it's not what you want, you gotta do something. And while I would _rather_ we go in and fight together, I get it. Believe me, I 's a solution, I'm sure, and I'm sure you'll find it."

"Thanks… Come back and visit soon, Cassian, will ya?" Elio said with a chuckle as the two shared another hug.

"I'll keep you posted, bud. I don't know though. When I rise through the ranks and win the favor and affection of all the women in the nation, it might be difficult to make time for you." Cassian joked. Elio rolled his eyes at him.

"Right, yes. I'll completely understand." He played along.

"That's just how it goes, you know?" Cassian laughed, "But hey, I'll leave the princess for you. I heard from Taiga that you have a thing for her?" He brought up teasingly.

"Shut up," Elio groaned. "I wish I had never made that comment to her. She's never let me live that down!" He complained. This made Cassian laugh more. Elio couldn't help but chuckle too.

"Oh, I'll miss your humor, Elio. Take care, brother." Cassian said, patting him on the back. Elio walked with him out the front door and waved him off.

"You too, Cassian. You'll have to tell me all your esteemed war stories when you return." Elio joked with a smile. Cassian smiled in return and nodded before turning and going.

That was the last time he saw him…

Elio hissed as his hands began to burn again. He dropped his staff and turned to sit against the tree. He rubbed his red, irritated palms together to try and lessen the burning sensation. He had gotten carried away in letting his anger out.

As he sat there contemplating his situation and all of things he could have done differently, he started to become angry with himself. Had he just been braver and spoken up, he could still be happy and living at home in the Fire Nation. Maybe he'd be pursuing his dreams right now.

Instead, he was stuck in exile in the Earth Kingdom, constantly scrounging just to survive. Instead, he was sitting there sulking in his own regret.

What was really the point of it all? It was like Rala had brought out: all he was doing was just surviving. He wasn't really living. Would it make any difference at all if he were to stay alive?

Elio felt an empty pit forming in his stomach. He swallowed and stood up. He looked down at his staff but left it there. Instead, he raised his fists and stepped forward, creating a fire blast. Fire did come out, but it was weak and quickly fizzled out.

Elio knew that he could do better than that. He clenched his fists harder and tried again, putting more concentration. He strained his arms to get more force out of it. More fire came out this time, but once again the fire quickly disappeared into the air.

Elio's tired arms dropped to his sides. Part of him wanted to believe that he was just tired and that was why he couldn't firebend like normal, but he knew that wasn't what was happening. His motivation to go on was beginning to fade.

His inner fire was starting to dwindle…


	9. The Circus

Elio had never been to the circus before. They didn't really come around too often in his part of the Fire Nation. Stage plays were typically more popular; his family had a few favorites. He'd heard of the circus before when he first began practicing his firebending performance techniques, but he'd never seen it in person.

So when he walked into town and saw a big circus tent on the edge of town, it piqued his interest. He had to take a look for himself.

Standing off to the side, he could see numerous people setting up and preparing and rehearsing for their show. He saw jugglers, animal tamers, and fools. But he couldn't take his eyes off of the lone acrobat walking on a tightrope high above the ground.

She was incredible! She traversed the thin line on her hands, walking forward on her palms like it was nothing. Of course, there was a net below her in case she fell, but it might as well have not been there. She looked completely comfortable up there; she was certainly in her element.

"Hey, you! Get out of here!" A voice suddenly shouted, shaking Elio out of his transfixed state. He looked and saw a tall, heavy-set man stomping towards him. Elio took a step back defensively.

"Sorry! I was just watching." He said.

"If you wanna watch, you can pay for a ticket like everyone else! Now get going! Scram! Shoo!" He gestured for him to go, spitting in his direction. Elio made a face as he stepped back. He was going to keep moving on, but he was again stopped by someone else approaching him.

"What seems to be the problem here?" A girl curiously asked, doing a frontwards cartwheel before resting her hands on her hips. He quickly realized that this was the girl he'd just been watching on the tightrope.

"Sorry, Ty Lee. Just another straggler trying to sneak in." The man said, brushing him off.

"I was not trying to sneak in! I was just observing!" Elio defended.

"It's okay," The girl whose name was apparently Ty Lee spoke up. "Come on, Mel, you're scaring off a potential customer! Let me talk to him." She volunteered.

"Ugh, alright. Just make it quick." Mel grumbled, throwing his hand out dismissively and walking away. Elio turned back towards Ty Lee.

"Um, thank you. If I am actually intruding just by standing here then I'm sorry for interrupting." Elio said politely.

"Oh no, you're fine! It's no problem at all. Mel's our security manager. He can be a little stingy. He doesn't like to let us practice outside because he says people can get 'free sneak peeks'. I really don't mind it. He's just…well, ya know." She explained with a chuckle.

"Haha, yeah, I can see that. So your name is Ty Lee?"

"Yep! That's me! And what's your name, stranger?" She asked.

"My name's Elio. Nice to meet you," He introduced himself and shook hands with her. "I was really impressed with your tightrope walking. I've never seen anything that impressive." He complimented her sincerely.

"Aww! Thank you," Ty Lee exclaimed, pressing her hands on her cheeks. "That's really sweet of you!" She smiled, clearly flattered.

"Just being honest," He chuckled. "I've never been to the circus before, but I bet this show is something to see." He guessed. Ty Lee's eyes widened and she gasped in shock.

"You've _never_ been to the circus before?! Wait, do you mean like you've never been to _this_ circus or _any_ circus?" She asked.

"Any circus. I just never had the chance." Elio answered.

"Oh man! Well, you know what? That's gonna have to change today! You've gotta come to our show tonight!" Ty Lee insisted. Elio chuckled.

"Haha, well, I'm a little pressed for cash. How much is the show?" He asked.

"Are you kidding? It's your first time at the circus ever! I'll just get you a ticket! Plus it'll make up for Mel being mean to you earlier." She added with a smile. Elio chuckled.

"You're too kind, Ty Lee. What time is the show? I'll be there." He promised.

Elio soon realized that he had been missing out by never going to the circus. It was an incredible display of showmanship with high energy and a sense of suspense throughout. Still, it was a joyful experience for him.

It was a lot like what he wished he could do with his firebending.

Once the show came to an end, he wasn't sure if Ty Lee wanted to see him again. They hadn't discussed it before he had gone, so it was kind of up to him at this point. He could leave now with this great experience and continue on his way…

But he decided to make a bolder move.

As people began to make their way out of the big top, Elio made his way towards the backstage area. He quietly snuck behind the curtain and immediately looked to try and find Ty Lee. He maneuvered behind boxes to avoid being caught until he eventually found Ty Lee. She was in full show makeup.

"Hey, Ty Lee! That was awesome!" Elio said with a grin as he revealed himself to her. She turned towards him. She was surprised to see him, but her surprised expression quickly changed to a beaming smile.

"Thank you! Oh, Elio, I'm so glad you were able to come see our show! Wasn't it the best thing you've ever seen?" She asked, giving him an excited hug. He chuckled and returned the hug.

"It was! I really had a fun time. You were right, it was totally worth it." He said with a smile. Ty Lee grinned proudly.

"Awesome! I'm glad to hear it! Hey, what're you doing now that the show's over?" She asked curiously.

"Uhh, I don't know. Just going on my way, I guess," He answered with a shrug. "Why?"

"Weeellll I don't know if you heard, but there's a festival in town tonight." She brought up.

" You wanna go?" He asked.

"I would love to! I actually already planned on going, but it'd be fun to have someone to go with. You know, if you want to." She offered with a small blush. Elio chuckled and smiled.

"You know what? Sure. It's a date. How long do you need to get ready?" He asked.

"20 minutes max." She answered.

"Alright. I'll meet you outside in 20 then." He said with a smile.

"Great! See you soon!" She said, hugging him again and waving as she went back to her dressing room to get ready. Elio chuckled and shook his head before making his way out.

As he left town, got dressed in his nicest clothes with a long cloak over it, and hid his things somewhere safe, he couldn't keep his mind off of Ty Lee. It was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before: in a matter of a day, she'd already managed to win over his interest.

He decided to take some money with him, in case he found an opportunity to treat her.

Elio made his way back to the circus tent where he had agreed to meet her. He fixed his cloak and secured his money to his belt beneath the fabric. His nervousness began to build as the time drew closer for her to join him.

He turned and smiled as she approached him, her braid now fixed, her makeup now far more subtle, and her outfit now similar to what she'd been wearing when they'd met this morning. He smiled at her and gave her a quick hug.

"Hey! Fancy seeing you here." He joked and chuckled.

"You too, stranger! Ready to go?" She asked. He nodded.

"After you." He answered, offering his hand to her. She took it with a little giggle and they walked hand in hand towards the festival.

"So I gotta ask, Ty Lee, what made you decide to join the circus?" He asked curiously.

"Haha, that's kind of a long story. But I just knew that it was the right path for me. And I haven't regretted it at all! Not one bit!"

"That's really cool," Elio said with a smile. "You're really lucky. I'd love to perform the way you get to. It's pretty amazing." He admitted honestly.

"Really? You love to perform? What's your talent?" She asked curiously.

"Uh, well…" Elio hesitated to answer, but before he could think of something to say in response to her, his attention was drawn in front of him towards the entrance of the festival.

At the gate marking the entrance to the festival, a large Fire Nation flag was hanging from the top. Elio's eyes widened in shock.

"This is a Fire Nation festival?" Elio realized. Ty Lee suddenly became nervous; she had forgotten to mention this to him.

"Uh, y-yeah. That's not gonna be an issue, is it?" She asked.

Elio swallowed nervously. What was he gonna do? He wasn't even sure if it would be a risk to enter into the festival? However, before he said anything, he realized that everyone at the festival had on masks.

"Uh, n-no. It won't be an issue. I just wasn't expecting that." He answered.

"If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll understand." Ty Lee reassured him, looking up at him again. Elio, however, managed a smile and began to lead her through the gate.

"No worries. Let's grab some masks and join in the activities." He insisted. Ty Lee smiled at him.

"Sure. Let's do it." She nodded. The two of them approached the stand for masks.

"Hello there, you two! My my, what a lovely, young couple we got here!" The man behind the stand laughed, "A mask for each of ya, will it be?" He asked.

"Yes, please!" Ty Lee answered.

"Excellent! I have the perfect masks for the two of you! For the lovely lady, here's a dove." The man held a white bird mask out to Ty Lee. She took it with a laugh and put it on, cooing humorously.

"Coo coo. Ha ha, how do I look?" She asked Elio. He chuckled.

"Silly. I think it suits you." He answered with a laugh.

"And for the gentleman, here's an ostrich horse mask!" The man laughed, holding out a white and black mask of an ostrich horse face; it appeared to be ceremonial.

"Aw man!" Elio groaned as he took the mask. It was a bit uglier than what he would have wanted. Ty Lee was laughing even before he put it on.

"Aww, I think it suits you, Elio!" Ty Lee teased him, rubbing his arm. Elio looked down and shook his head humorously.

"Thank you, sir." Elio said, paying for their masks.

The date was going really well as far as Elio could tell. Ty Lee seemed to be having a good time, and so was he, which was the important part. He'd never really been on a date before, so he didn't have any reference.

"This is really fun," Ty Lee giggled, removing her mask for a bit and smiling. "I haven't been to a festival like this in a long, long time." She expressed.

"Haha, yeah, me neither."

"Oh yeah?"

"Uhuh. Hey, you see that stand there?" Elio pointed out, quickly changing the subject to save himself. "See any stuffed animals you like?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh! Hmm… That one right there," She pointed to one stand in particular. "See the stuffed badgermole? That's a really cute one!"

"I see it. Wanna try to win it?" He offered.

"Yeah! Let's do it!" She exclaimed. Elio chuckled and the two approached the stand.

"Hello hello there! Step right up, step right up! You can win yourself one of these stuffed animals; the largest you'll find anywhere in the festival! All you have to do is shoot a single flame through this target." The man running the stand announced.

Elio looked towards the game. It was a target with a metal disc in front of it. A small hole was cut in the center of it: that's what he would have to shoot through. It occurred to both him and Ty Lee in that moment that this was a firebending challenge.

"Aw man! Is it firebenders only?" Ty Lee asked.

"I'm afraid so, little lady. Sorry." The man shook his head apologetically.

"Dangit! Well, I guess we'll have to find another one… Elio?" Ty Lee began to walk away but stopped, seeing that Elio was still standing in front of the stand.

"How much for a game?" Elio asked.

"Right here, my good man," The manager pointed to the sign on his post displaying the price. He reached into his money pouch and paid to play. "You get three tries."

"You're a firebender, Elio?" Ty Lee asked in surprise. Elio looked at her.

"Uh, yeah. Surpriiise." He said with an awkward chuckle.

Elio stretched his closed hand towards the target. He extended his pointer and middle finger outwards. He took in a breath, putting all of his concentration into firing out a small shot. Some embers popped from his fingers before a quick burst of fire shot and hit the bottom of the metal disc.

"Aw! This is harder than it looks." Elio said, taking another breath and aiming a little higher.

"Come on, Elio, you can do this." Ty Lee encouraged him.

"Huh?" Elio looked over at her, distracted at the moment he fired his second shot. The flame bounced off the side of the disc and burst into little sparks.

"Oops! Sorry…" She blushed and covered her mouth sheepishly.

"One more shot left, my good man!" The man running the stand said.

Elio took in another breath, focusing on the target again. He kept his mind trained on, not his target, but his goal, which was winning this prize for Ty Lee. He straightened his arm and steadied his hand. He fired another shot and it went straight in.

"And we have a winner! Congratulations, sir! Pick your prize!"

"Your choice, Ty Lee. Pick whatever you want." He said with a smile.

"Are you sure? Now I kinda feel bad for taking the prize you won." Ty Lee said. However, Elio smiled and shook his head.

"Oh no, please! I don't actually have room for a prize that big; I want you to pick what you want." He insisted. Ty Lee smiled at him.

"I'll take the badgermole, please."

"So you're _also_ from the Fire Nation?!" Elio asked in shock. Ty Lee hummed and nodded.

"Mhmm, yup! I lived around the east edge of the inner ring. Not to brag or anything, but I actually went to school with Princess Azula. We're best friends!" She said.

"No way! Are you serious? That means you probably went to school with my sister!" He realized.

"Wow! Aww, you have a sister?"

"Yes, her name is Taiga. Sound familiar?"

"Mm mm," She shook her head. "Sorry, nope. But still, that's really cool!"

"It is! I lived further within the inner ring, on the west side. We couldn't have been that far away from each other." He reasoned.

"That's really funny! Well, it took long enough, but I'm glad we met." She said with a smile. Elio blushed and smiled too.

"Yeah, you too. This has been really fun… So I'm guessing it's back to the big top for you after tonight, huh?" He presumed.

"Mhmm. We leave tomorrow for the next city. So is the life of a performer." She said with a dramatic wave of her hand. Elio chuckled a bit.

"Yeah. It must be fun. I envy you. I wish I could perform." He admitted.

"Really? You like to perform too? What do you do?" She asked curiously.

"I…well I can't say I _do_ perform because I've never done it in front of anyone, but I've always wanted to perform with my firebending. There's so many things you can do with it, you know?" He expressed.

"No, I don't know. But I'd love for you to show me." She said with a smile, taking his hands and pulling him into a run suddenly. He stumbled as he followed her.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere away from the crowds! Come on!" She said with a laugh.

Ty Lee and Elio left the vicinity of the city, going somewhere secluded and dark where they wouldn't be seen. Nervousness began to swell in Elio as she took a seat, ready to see what he could do.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ty Lee? What if someone sees?" He asked.

"Don't even worry about that. Just let me see what you can do! Come on!" She clapped her hands excitedly. Elio chuckled nervously.

"Alright… Let me just take a few steps back." He said, putting a safe distance between him and her.

Elio swallowed nervously and took in a deep breath. No one had ever asked to see him perform a trick before, and he was scared how he would be judged. Nevertheless, he did his best to calm his nerves…

Creating fire in his hands, he began to slowly create a circle of fire in front of him. He bent the fire into a ring and brought it around him, then spread the ring out around him. As the fire swirled around and around, he sent two blasts of fire in opposite directions. Those blasts became two more rings of fire.

Improvising now, he began to spin the two outer rings around the center ring, going faster and faster. The fire creating a low whoosh sound as it traveled; it was both exhilarating and intimidating. Elio bent the outer rings into lines now and continued.

The lines rose up from the outer ring and intersected above him, becoming a thin, snake-like dragon. The fire crashing in on itself created a roar-like sound akin to a dragon. Elio waved his hands in stylistic circles to make the dragon fly around.

Now Elio bent the ring around him into the air and had the dragon fly through it. He led it in a few circles before letting the fire disappear. He didn't realize it, but Ty Lee could see that he was grinning from ear to ear as he finished his performance.

"Wow! That was amazing, Elio!" She said, clapping for him and springing up to her feet. Elio caught his breath and looked over at her.

"Really? You think so?" He asked, still doubting himself somewhat.

"Are you kidding? That was some of the best firebending I've ever seen! You're an amazing performer!" She complimented him with a bright smile.

"Thank you. That really means a lot. You're actually the first person to see me perform like that." He informed her.

"Haha, well I'm honored! Hey, maybe you could join our troupe! I think tons of people would _love_ your firebending!" She said enthusiastically.

"You…really think so?"

"Yes! Come on, you gotta talk to our ringleader!" She insisted, taking his hand again to pull him along. However, this time, Elio did not readily follow behind her.

"I don't know, Ty Lee. I mean…you know how people feel about the Fire Nation. I don't know if it would go over well." He expressed his concerns.

"But we've had firebenders before and it was fine! Elio, you gotta come join. You're really, really good. And it's pretty obvious this is what you wanna do." She insisted. Elio swallowed; he couldn't deny that she was right.

"I… I have to think about it, Ty Lee." He said hesitantly.

"Why?" She asked, tilting her head inquisitively.

"I…just… Wait." Elio's gaze was torn from Ty Lee. In his peripheral vision, he could see three men sneaking into the grounds of the festival. Ty Lee turned around and followed his gaze. She saw them too.

"That doesn't look good." She commented.

"We should go tell someone." He said.

"There's not enough time. I've got a better idea." Ty Lee said, looking back at him with a faint smirk.

"Get the spark rocks, quickly. We need to be out as soon as these things are lit. We don't want to get caught in the crossfire." The leader of the trio reminded them. They carefully tipped over a wagon full of fireworks, aiming them towards the crowds just on the other side of the buildings that concealed them.

"If you wanted to see the fireworks, you could've just waited 30 minutes. That's when they're scheduled to go off." Ty Lee quipped.

The three of them, all concealed by dark clothing and masks, turned their heads towards her voice. They looked over and saw both Ty Lee and Elio standing there with their masks on.

"Get lost." The leader quickly brushed them off.

"They're going to launch a bunch of fireworks into a crowd of innocent people." Elio said to Ty Lee, stating his observations aloud.

"Innocent? You know how many Fire Nation soldiers are in this crowd, kid?" One of the men said.

"Yeah, I do." Elio answered, swirling his hands around and creating fire. Immediately, the three thugs pulled out their weapons.

"Quick, light em up!" The leader shouted.

"I don't think so!" Elio exclaimed, breaking into a forward sprint.

He shot forward two fireballs to keep the men in front of him from attacking. As they dove to the ground, he jumped over them and aimed a fire kick towards the third man, who was about to light the fireworks. He jumped back, trading his spark rocks for a machete.

"For the Earth Kingdom, you filthy animal." Elio's opponent growled furiously before lunging and attempting to stab him.

Elio sidestepped the attack, pushing his wrist away with his right hand. With his left, he threw a quick jab into the man's nose. As he stumbled back, Elio shot a fireball right into his chest, blowing him back and knocking him down.

The second of the three turned to attack Elio. He had a small shield strapped to his left arm. Elio threw a fire kick at him, but he used his shield to block the fire. He then stepped forward and knocked him back with his shield.

"Elio!" Ty Lee exclaimed, stepping forward to try and help. However, the leader, who was the biggest of the three, quickly pushed her back.

"Stay back, little girl." He warned.

"Who're you calling little?" She made a face, throwing several punches into his chest. He gasped in shock, clutching his chest and freezing up. Ty Lee quickly threw more several punches into his legs, causing him to collapse.

Elio quickly got to his feet, throwing several more fire blasts at him. He blocked each one, but had to take a step backwards each time in order to stand his ground against the force of Elio's attacks. As Elio advanced, he realized that his flame blasts were setting off the fireworks.

"Ah!" He shouted, rushing over to lift the wagon. The man attempted to take advantage of this and attack Elio, but he was quickly stopped by a few crippling jabs from Ty Lee. Elio was impressed by this, but he was unable to express that in this moment.

"Help me get this up before they go off!" Elio said, crouching down and doing his best to lift the wagon. Ty Lee quickly joined him and did the same.

"Almost…got it!" She strained.

They barely managed to get the wagon up on its four wheels before the fireworks began to shoot up into the air. Ty Lee and Elio both stepped back quickly, looking up into the sky as the fireworks shot up.

"Ooh, pretty. I like the shapes! They didn't have that before." Ty Lee commented with a smile.

Wordlessly, Elio gave Ty Lee a look. She didn't notice; she was too enthralled by the fireworks display. Behind them, he could hear the crowd begin to swell excitedly and appreciatively as the fireworks burst in the sky. Elio couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

"You'll pay for that!" The man with the machete got up suddenly, attempting to attack Elio again. He quickly turned around and tripped him. When he hit the ground, he stomped on the back of his head and knocked him out.

"Oof! That's gonna hurt." Ty Lee cringed.

"Hey! Did you kids set off the fireworks?" Two Fire Nation soldiers rushed over.

"These three men were going to set the fireworks and shoot them into the crowd. We stopped them just in time." Elio quickly explained.

"Yeah! We would've gotten you guys, but it would have been too late! You're lucky we were here! You should really get better at keeping an eye out." Ty Lee said, pointing a finger at the both of them even though her tone wasn't really all that condescending.

"Right… Well, thank you. Let's get these men to the town jail. Quietly." The soldiers decided among themselves.

"You do that! Come on, Elio, we don't wanna miss the rest of the fireworks!" Ty Lee said, grabbing his hand again and pulling him away.

"Woah oh!" Elio stumbled again, waving at the soldiers as he was pulled off.

"Well, I can honestly say tonight has been a night unlike any other. One to remember, for sure." Elio commented humorously as he walked Ty Lee back to where all the circus performers were camped at. Ty Lee turned towards him with a giggle.

"Yeah, definitely! This was awesome!"

"Yeah. It was." He agreed with a smile.

"So, did you think about what I said? Are you gonna talk to the ringleader?" She asked. The question quickly made Elio's smile fade away.

"I…don't think so." He answered. Ty Lee's disappoint at this was obvious, but she nodded.

"Yeah, okay. It was worth a shot…" Her lips tugged to one side, "Sure there's not anything I could do to change your mind?"

"It's just a big risk. I'm sorry."

"I understand. Well hey, if you do change your mind, we'll be here until tomorrow morning." She informed him. Elio nodded.

"Thanks, Ty Lee… I had a good time today. I've really needed a good day like this."

"Aw, well I'm glad you had as much fun as I did! It was nice meeting you," She said. She stepped towards him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah," He answered, touching his cheek and blushing. "You too." He said. She smiled at him before turning away and returning to the camp.

As Elio walked away from the camp, his mind went back over two things: the circus and his little demonstration for Ty Lee. For the last few years, he had doubted whether or not performing would be something that would make him happy. He wondered if he was cut out for it, or if it would even be worthwhile.

But after tonight, he knew for sure that this was something he wanted to be a part of.

Elio looked back towards the camp. It was like Ty Lee had said: it was obvious this is what he wanted to do. Elio sighed and turned back to go and get his things…


	10. A Dream Realized

Ty Lee woke up sluggishly to the sounds of her fellow troupe members walking around gathering their things. It sounded like it was time to move onto the next town. Ty Lee yawned and stretched her arms out, getting up and braiding her hair before gathering her stuff.

Ty Lee hummed a little tune to herself as she stepped out of her caravan. She walked around and gathered her things. She tossed the last of her randomly cluttered things into her caravan and dusted her hands off with a smile.

She turned around to see if anyone else needed help. As her eyes scanned around, she noticed a familiar face. Her eyes widened and she gasped, "No way! Elio?!" She called out to him, approaching him quickly.

Elio looked back at her call and saw her coming. He quickly finished with helping to carry a box into a separate caravan. He turned towards her with a smile. She ran up to him and hugged him, to his surprise.

"Did you change your mind?!" She asked excitably as she let go of him.

"Yep. I did. I talked things over with the ringleader and the manager. I showed them what I showed you. So I'm in! I'll be performing with you and the troupe in the next town." He informed her. Ty Lee excitedly clapped her hands, hopping in place once.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you! You're gonna do so good! You have all of your stuff packed and ready to go already?" She asked.

"I have my bag on me. I'll just be walking alongside until accommodations can be made for me." Elio answered.

He didn't want to tell her that his admittance into the troupe was on a trial basis; until it could be seen whether or not audiences would enjoy his talents.

"Oh man, that's a long way though. Tell you what; you can ride with me in my caravan!" She said with a grin.

"Really, you sure? I'm fine just walking." He insisted.

"And I'm fine with you riding with me! Now grab your stuff and let's go!" She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.

"Woah okay!" He stumbled and followed her.

Elio sat in Ty Lee's caravan, staring out the window and slowly watching the landscape of the Earth Kingdom scroll by. Not having to walk through it while being constantly on guard allowed him to really take it all in.

The Earth Kingdom has a lot of natural beauty to it.

"You look deep in thought," Ty Lee observed with a giggle, sitting next to him. "Whatcha thinking about?" She asked. Elio looked at her and chuckled.

"Just looking out at the sights of the Earth Kingdom. There's so much greenery here." He pointed out his obvious observation. Ty Lee giggled in agreement.

"I know right? Over in the Earth Kingdom, everything is all paved and crafted. There's hardly any trees that weren't planted!" She pointed out.

"Yeah! Exactly," He agreed emphatically. "Finally someone who knows where I'm coming from!" He exclaimed with a laugh.

"Haha, yeah! It was a culture shock for me too. But I like it here! It's very pretty."

"I was just thinking the same thing," He said with a smile. "Tell me more about what it was like for you in the Fire Nation. I haven't spoken to anyone from back home in a long time." He requested.

"Oh yeah? Me neither. I usually don't tell people that I'm from the Fire Nation because everyone automatically assumes it's bad. Which, agree to disagree on that." She added.

"Yeah I totally get what you mean." Elio nodded.

"Yeah. But anyways, your question! Uh, I liked the Fire Nation. It was nice. I told you already that I was friends with Azula. She's really…well, words don't do her justice." She said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, I've heard stories of her intense reputation." Elio said with an understanding laugh.

"Ok good so you know," She giggled. "But other than that, there's not much to tell. I grew up in a big family with six sisters-" Ty Lee started to continue, but Elio cut her off.

"Six sisters?!" Elio exclaimed in shock.

"Yep," She nodded and giggled. "Six sisters. So you can imagine how hectic it was at home. All of my sisters looked a lot like me, so I became an acrobat to distinguish myself. A few years later, bada bing bada boom, here I am!" She summarized.

"Wowww. Very cool of you, Ty Lee. I'm glad that it worked out for you." He said with a smile.

"Aww, thank you! What about you? What made you want to get into performing with your firebending? That can't be easy. I mean, I wouldn't know 'cause I'm not a bender, but you make it look, like, really hard but also really easy."

"Haha, well thank you. Well, I think I can say the moment that I wanted to get into it was one time me and my sister were practicing our firebending together, she's a firebender too, and we tried to make actual shapes out of the fire.

"They were simple things: squares and circles and stuff. But that was when I first realized that there's so much potential for fire and firebending. And from then on, whenever I would train, I would push myself to be creative with my bending." He told his story.

"Oh that's so neat! Like what you did with the circles and the dragon! I've never seen anyone do that before!" She said.

"Exactly, exactly. I mean, some of those tricks _have_ been done before, but that's what I wanted to learn. But I also wanna come up with _new_ tricks too that no firebender has ever seen or done." He said with a dreamlike smile.

"Well, I think here you'll have a huge chance to do that," She said warmly. "I can't wait to see what you come up with, Elio." She said, leaning forward a little bit. Elio blushed and smiled in return.

"Yeah…me too." He said in agreement, chuckling a bit nervously. She laughed.

"So what were you doing before you joined our troupe? Were you, like, a travelling performer or something?" She asked curiously.

"Oh! Uh, well… Honestly I was just walking around travelling the Earth Kingdom. I've never been outside the borders of the Fire Nation before, so this is a new experience for me." He explained.

"Oh, neat! Well hey, you'll get to see plenty more travelling with us! You're gonna love it!" She said with an excited smile. Elio chuckled and smiled too.

"I have a feeling I will."

"Elio? Elio, where are you?" The ringleader called out for him, looking around. Ty Lee, hearing this, called back to him.

"He's over here, Boris! We're just finishing up his foundation!" She called. Boris the ringleader made his way over to Ty Lee's quarters. He found Elio with her; she was helping him put on a basic amount of makeup for his performance, which was coming up soon now.

"Elio, our firebending friend! How are you feeling?" Boris asked, patting a hand on his shoulder.

"Uh, heheh," Elio chuckled nervously. "I'm terrified. This is…something I've never done before."

"This is what you wanted, isn't it? I, for one, am greatly looking forward to what you do tonight. I just wanted to discuss something important before you go out there."

"Lay it on me."

"Obviously, firebending is not without its dangers. And we love danger here at the circus. However, if our tent were to go down in flames or if our audience were to suffer injury, that would not be good for our reputation.

"You see where I'm going with this?" Boris asked.

"I do. You want me to put on a show but make sure no one gets hurt. So keep it in control." Elio summarized. Boris nodded.

"Yes. Can you do that for me?"

"No problem at all."

"Great! Just keep that in mind. And you have free range other than that. Our dear Ty Lee here told me great things about what you can do. She's never steered me wrong, so I've no reason to doubt what you can do."

"Thank you for this opportunity, sir. I won't let you down." Elio said appreciatively.

"You're quite welcome, my good man! Things in the world may be tense right now, but the circus has a way of bringing everyone together! Put on a good show and you'll be just fine." Boris said with a smile before leaving them.

"See? You've got nothing to worry about." Ty Lee smiled at him.

"Yeah… Do you know who's gonna be at the show tonight?" He asked.

"Nope! Well, I know there's gonna be some Fire Nation soldiers in attendance. Other than that, it should just be random people." She answered. Elio nodded and hummed.

So he had a chance of at least having part of an impartial audience.

"Okay. I'll do my best," He nodded in response. "I'm gonna go prepare and get my head right. I'll catch you after the show." He said, leaving her quarters.

"Okay!" She said, waving to him.

Elio walked to the edge of his space and sat down silently, trying to mentally prepare himself. As the show began behind him, he spent his time just pondering the gravity of this moment: for once in his life, he had the opportunity to do exactly what he wanted to do with his life.

Back in school, everything was about servitude: serving the country and the Fire Lord. He would half-heartedly recite the pledge; sometimes he couldn't even bring himself to finish it. His only desire was to bring joy to people and to be remembered in a positive way.

If this was to be his only chance to realize his dream, he couldn't let his own self-doubts stop him from giving this performance his all…

"Ladies and gentleman! You've seen our performers flirt with death and perform feats unlike anything else in the world! Truly, the circus is where the real magic happens," Boris the ringleader announced, hyping up the crowd.

"Our next performer has travelled the world, learning and developing his skills just to give you this dazzling performance tonight. You've seen fire, and you may have seen firebenders before, but you have never before seen a man who can tame fire like this!

"Let's give a fiery welcome to our man: Elio! The wandering firebender!"

The audience applauded for Elio as he came out waving to the audience. He looked around and immediately noticed the distinctions between the Fire Nation soldiers and the rest of the audience. The Earth Kingdom citizens in attendance appeared to be of some nobility: Fire Nation supporters.

That explained the warm reception. Nevertheless, he was determined to give them a show.

Elio stood in the center of the ring. He took a deep breath, getting into a relaxed stance. He bent his knees slightly, raising his hands up in front of him. As he did so, the musicians began to play a mysterious yet charming tune.

Elio extended his pointer and middle fingers out. He traced lines of fire around him, creating two rings like a ball. He took in a deep breath, holding the fire in place. He added more fuel to the fire. The flames blazed.

As the fire grew hotter, the two rings suddenly flashed blue, briefly crackling from Elio's focused intensity. Elio moved his hands in a half-circle. His flames boomed loudly and snapped outwards, causing the entire audience to jump back in shock and amazement.

Elio had never done that before, but he just rolled with it and kept going.

Elio turned and created two knives made of fire in his hands. He tossed them outwards, suspending them in the air. He traced lines with his fingers, extending the knives out into two tall lines on either side of him.

Continuing his trick, he created more lines until they circled around him. He then created rings of fire, giving the appearance of a tall, circular cage around him. He once again caused the flames to burn more intensely. He then moved his hands from left to right, making the cage spin.

As the music built in intensity, a grin crept onto Elio's face. He did a sideways flip and shot a fire blast through the cage. The cage bent outwards with the fire. The flames spread outwards in the air like a blooming flower. Elio did this in each direction, letting everyone in the audience see this awesome display.

As the audience gasped in further amazement, Elio moved on to his finale. He spun his hands around in a circle, allowing the fiery cage to disappear piece by piece. Once it had completely disappeared, he took another breath and began.

Elio spun around and sent out a fire blast. The blast curved to the right in the air, spinning around and taking the form of a dragon. Elio guided it with his hands, making the dragon fly in circles.

Typically, the next part of this trick would be to 'tame' the dragon by creating a lasso and hooking the dragon around the neck. However, Elio had something even more special in mind. He took in a very deep breath; he would need all of his concentration for this one.

Elio got into a wide stance and sent another fire blast out. This one curved to the left and became a second dragon. Elio's arms began to tremble as he controlled one dragon with each hand, making them fly in intersecting circles.

"Just a little more…" Elio said to himself, doing his best to control his breathing. He did another sideways flip and clapped his hands together.

The two dragons twisted and flew directly into each other above his head. As they crashed together, the flames let out a loud bursting sound. Elio spread his hands back out, and the ball of fire shot outwards, becoming a multitude of small flames floating gently in the air.

Elio slowly moved his fingers up and down in a wave motion, letting the flames flicker and dance gently to the music before they faded away. The music came to an end along with it, signaling the end of his performance.

The audience erupted into applause, cheering loudly for him. Elio's tired arms dropped down and he forced himself to stand up straight although he was tired. His head was spinning; he almost couldn't hear the audience cheering. But he could see them, and that brought a big smile to his face.

Elio took a bow in each direction, waving happily and going backstage. When he went back there, Ty Lee was the first one to congratulate him with a big hug.

"Elio, that was amazing! I've never seen anything like that before!" She said with a giggle. Elio laughed and hugged back.

"That was terrifying. I was so nervous the whole time." He chuckled, his heart still racing. It was making it a little hard for him to breathe.

"Oh I so could not tell." She giggled.

"Elio, my good man! That was a fantastic display! Words don't do it justice," Boris said with a smile. "We'll probably have to open up the top of the tent to counteract all the smoke you made, but that was an oversight on our part.

"You just gave your first performance and it was an absolute success! How do you feel?"

"I… It's like you said, words don't do it justice." Elio chuckled and shook his head. He was still processing what just happened.

"Haha, congratulations, Elio! Here's to more to come." He said, patting him on the shoulder before running out to the audience to announce the next act.

"You were great! I'll find you after the show!" Ty Lee smiled, hugging him again before hurrying off to get in place for her own act.

"O-Okay." Elio stuttered, smiling as he waved her off…

Back in Ty Lee's caravan after the show, Elio sat and looked out the window again. It was finally starting to sink in: he'd gotten exactly what he wanted. He had finally gotten to feel what it was like to perform and show off his talents. And it couldn't have gotten better.

Emotions welled up in him. He tried to hold it back but he couldn't. Thick tears began to stream down his face, but for once, they were tears of joy. He wiped them away with his sleeve, sniffling and smiling to himself.

"Oh hey, Elio! I didn't think you'd be back in here. But it makes sense, you still haven't gotten your accommodations figured out, huh?" Ty Lee realized as she entered into her caravan.

"Hmm?" He looked over, realized it was her, and quickly wiped the rest of his tears away. "Yeah, yeah, no I haven't gotten it figured out yet. Is it okay if I stay here until then? If that's alright with you." He requested.

"That's not a problem!" She smiled and walked over to sit with him, "The show tonight was amazing! And you really had a huge hand in that." She said as she sat in front of him.

"Thanks," Elio sniffled again. "It really did go well, didn't it?" He agreed with a smile.

"It did. Were you crying?" She immediately recognized. Elio nodded; the signs must have been clear on his face, so there was no point in trying to deny it.

"Yeah. My emotions just got to me. In a good way though. I'm really happy. I've just…never felt this…lifted before." He expressed, raising his hand up towards his chest. Ty Lee nodded and smiled in understanding.

"Yeah, it's something else, right? I remember my first performance. I got exactly the same way," She giggled softly. She scooted towards him and hugged him. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you, Ty Lee. I really have you to thank for this chance." He said, hugging her back tightly.

"Yeah, a little bit, but you really have the talent, Elio. You deserve to be here for sure." She said.

"Thank you." He said, getting comfortable holding her.

She smiled up at him, and he smiled in return. Wordlessly, she leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. As she pulled away, Elio could only hope that she couldn't see him blushing in the pale light.

"I'm gonna try and get some rest. You should try and do the same," She said, tapping him on the shoulder with her fist in a playful way. "Goodnight, Elio."

"Goodnight, Ty Lee." He said softly, watching her walk behind the curtains of her room. He touched his cheek and swallowed. This night had been filled with all sorts of unfamiliar emotions.

It was like Boris had said: words couldn't do it justice…


	11. The Firebender

Elio was totally unprepared for the rush and joy that would come from a standing ovation and a cheering audience. However, he was even less prepared for the doubt and insecurities that a silent audience would bring.

Perhaps his first performance had set the bar too high, because after performing on this second night and being given only a small amount of applause, he was beginning to feel down on himself; worried even.

Had his performance been weaker somehow? He tried to do more or less the same thing again. Or was it the fact that he was firebending? He was still in the Earth Kingdom after all; perhaps the audience had been afraid of him, and thus couldn't enjoy his performance…

"Hey, Elio! I didn't say it earlier, but you were great tonight!" Ty Lee said, joining him and sitting next to him.

"Thanks, Ty Lee. So were you." He said. His words were sincere, but his tone was distant. He stared out the window of the caravan towards the night sky, mulling over the same anxious thoughts again and again.

"Thank you… Hey, don't worry too much about the crowd. I'm sure they were just so awestruck by your performance that they just forgot to cheer." Ty Lee tried to be reassuring. He shook his head in disagreement.

"I don't know, Ty Lee… I am still a firebender. Maybe they just couldn't see past that." Elio thought. She sighed and shook her head.

"Maybe. I'm sorry, Elio. I know that you did your best. But hey, I'm sure you'll have plenty more people cheering for you in the next show!" She said optimistically.

"Thanks," He said, smiling a bit. "I'll just have to hope that turns out to be true."

"Yeah…" Ty Lee said, still feeling bad for him. Her head lifted and her eyes lit up. "Oh hey, I know what will make you feel better though!"

"What?"

"I heard we're going to be arriving in town early tomorrow. I know you were asking about my chi blocking techniques yesterday. I can show you a few moves!" She suggested.

"Oh! Yeah! Totally, let's do that." He agreed with a smile.

"Great! It'll be fun! I've never taught anyone before!" She clapped excitedly. "Ooh! I actually have a paper that you could look at to get ready! Wait right there!" Ty Lee quickly hopped to her feet and ran to one of her drawers.

"I'm not going anywhere." Elio chuckled and waited.

"Here," Ty Lee came back and held a paper out to him. "This diagram helped me out a lot when I was first learning. Look it over!"

Elio took the paper and looked down at it. It showed a full body diagram with a front and back view: a series of dots covered both sides of the body. Elio's eyes scanned all the different points and he hummed.

"So all of these spots are potential targets for chi blocking?" He asked.

"Yep! Trust me, it's not as easy as it looks, but with my help, you'll be doing it in no time! Our first lesson begins tomorrow, my pupil." She said, bowing like a master would. Elio laughed.

"Can't wait, Master Lee." He said, spinning his hand around and making a pretense of bowing his head. Ty Lee giggled.

"Goodnight, Elio. Feel better!" She smiled, giving him a quick hug before going back into her own area, out of sight.

"Goodnight, Ty Lee." Elio said with a small smile, watching her go before turning his attention back to the diagram. He began studying it carefully…

Just as Ty Lee had said, when he woke up in the morning, all of the caravans and tents were already parked just outside the next town. All he had to do was get ready, help with getting a few things set up, and then the two of them walked some distance away from town for his lesson.

"Alright. I think this spot is perfect." Ty Lee decided, turning around to face him. Elio nodded.

"This is kinda far out, isn't it, Ty Lee?" He asked.

"Well yeah! Don't want any interruptions, do we?"

"Fair enough. Take it away." He said with a chuckle. She smiled and clapped her hands together, clearing her throat and beginning her lesson.

"Okay! So, did you get the chance to study over the diagram I gave you last night?" She asked.

"Yeah, I looked it over. There's a _lot_ of chi points to hit."

"You're right! And the more you keep in mind, the more of an advantage you'll have in a fight! But the important thing is you need to know _how to hit_ _them_ , not just where to hit. Make two fists for me." She instructed.

"Okay." Elio nodded, raising his fists up. Ty Lee stepped forward.

"What you wanna do is extend your middle finger out liiike this," She explained, showing him how to make the bend of his middle finger jut out. "This little ball here is what's gonna hit the chi points. You got me so far?"

"Mhmm. Yeah." He nodded, his fingers fidgeting as he tried to keep his fists in position. Ty Lee giggled.

"You'll get it. Now, I'll show you a few points on the upper body that you can hit. I've found them to be the easiest to hit, or at least, they're the ones that are the easiest to catch in a fight." Ty Lee continued.

"Alright. That works." He nodded again, listening carefully.

"Okay. Move your arm out, and I'll tap you in a few spots so you can feel where you need to hit. Now throw a punch, please." She instructed. Elio extended his arm out as though throwing a punch at her face.

Ty Lee stepped forward, gently tapping her fingers on a few spots across Elio's arm: a dip in his elbow, the middle of his forearm, just under his armpit, and the top of his shoulder. With each tap, Elio's arm tingled a bit.

"Oh, yeah, I feel that." He quickly realized.

"Yeah! It's like that for both arms. Now I'm gonna do it, and you try to get those spots." Ty Lee said, stepping back and doing the same punching motion.

"Okay. Let me see…" Elio stepped forward, tapping her in the same way with his balled fist. He looked at her for confirmation on each spot.

"That's right. Yes. A little bit higher on that one. Right there. A little higher on that one. Right there. See? You got it!" Ty Lee smiled.

"Oh! Alright, I'm following!" He said, relaxing now that he was getting things right.

"While you're there, you can also go…here, here, or up here." She took his fist and showed him points to hit between her ribs, on her side, and on a spot in her neck and shoulder area. Elio nodded, looking closely.

"Okay. Some of these spots I'd probably go for in a real fight too." He observed.

"Exactly! But if you know _how_ to hit them, they do way more damage! Isn't that neat?" She giggled.

"It actually is! Thank you, Ty Lee." He said, smiling gratefully at her.

"Oh, we're not done. I've got more to show you." She smirked a bit.

And so their training continued. It was a lot to take in, but Elio did his best to keep up with all of the different places she was showing him to hit. It didn't occur to him immediately, but after awhile, he realized how comfortable he and Ty Lee were becoming with each other.

"Okay!" Ty Lee grinned, "This concludes your first lesson, Elio! How do you feel?" She asked.

"Like I could do some serious damage in a fight now," He laughed. "This is awesome, Ty Lee. Where did you learn this?" He asked curiously.

"A magician never reveals her secrets," She giggled. "But I'm happy to share what I know. You're a great student." She complimented him.

"And you've been a great teacher." He said in response, smiling at her.

"Aww, thanks." Ty Lee giggled and smiled in return.

The two stared at each other with smiles; the silence between them lingered, but it wasn't awkward. If anything, it was full of tension. Elio took a step forward and Ty Lee stepped forward too. They inched closer together…

However, the moment was cut off by the sounds of angry yellng. Ty Lee and Elio looked over to see a crowd gathering and beginning to press in on the circus. Their eyebrows furrowed worriedly. They looked at each other and quickly hurried back to see what was going on.

"The Fire Nation isn't going to sway us into joining them with cheap entertainment!" That was the first thing Elio heard as they approached. A crowd was gathering just outside the vicinity of where the circus troupe was gathered.

"That's ridiculous! We're just here to put on a show; that's all! If you're not interested then don't come, but don't try to stop us!" One of the circus girls argued.

"Go back to the Fire Nation!" Another member of the crowd shouted. The mob yelled in agreement, becoming too loud for anyone to contest what they were saying.

"What is going on here?!" The manager, Mel, demanded.

"What's going on is you and your whole Fire Nation circus need to get out of here! We won't have any firebenders or Fire Nation propaganda in our town."

"Fire Nation propaganda?!" Ty Lee exclaimed, "How exactly is tightrope walking and juggling gonna make you want to join the war?" She argued sarcastically.

"We're not here to make you take sides in the war," Elio spoke up and stepped forward. "We're entertainers. We entertain regardless of what side you're on." He said. One of the men in the mob stepped forward too.

"You're the firebender, aren't you?" He questioned him directly. Elio swallowed, but maintained his ground.

"Yes, I am. And I assure you, I am no threat to you or your town. I've taken no part of the war and I don't intend to."

"And we're supposed to believe the words of a killer?" He spat. Elio took in a deep breath to maintain his composure.

"If you don't want me here, I will gladly step away and not perform if it means that the show can still go on." He tried to find a compromise.

"Absolutely not, Elio," Boris the ringleader shook his head, placing his hands on Elio's shoulders. "You are a part of this family now. Either _we all perform_ or we don't perform at all."

"Good. Then we demand that you leave now. Before things get messy."

"Fine," Boris sighed and turned back to the others. "Pack it up, folks! Let's not waste anymore time in this mudpile." He said, giving the crowd a dirty look before moving on.

"Let's hope the next town pays twice as much as usual." Mel muttered, going back to help with packing everything up.

Elio sighed sadly, turning to do the same. He glanced back towards the crowd. He became uncomfortable as he saw that people in the crowd seemed to be making mental notes of what he looked like. He quickly turned away…

It took the rest of the afternoon to pack up everything they had set up. The troupe went around the small town to get back on the road and start making some headway towards the next town. Elio kept to himself the whole time, even avoiding Ty Lee.

He couldn't shake the feeling that this was all happening because of him. The mob may have renounced anything to do with the Fire Nation, but most likely, if he wasn't a part of the troupe, there wouldn't have been a problem at all.

But because he was a firebender, they were being forced to leave.

"Elio." Mel entered into the caravan. Ty Lee was brushing her hair and Elio was looking over the diagram. Elio looked up at him.

"Yes, sir?"

"We've heard some rumors that some of those mob guys from before might try to attack the troupe when we make camp for the night. Do you think you could keep watch for a few hours?" He requested. Elio's eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, of course. I'll be out in just a minute," Elio agreed. "I'm really sorry about this."

"It's not your fault, kid. This isn't the first time we've gotten hassled out of town. Just don't worry about it." Mel said, halfheartedly trying to be reassuring before stepping out of the caravan.

"You can't keep blaming yourself, Elio. It's not true." Ty Lee said, looking back at him.

"How could it not be true? If I weren't here, those men likely would have never shown up." Elio pointed out as he slowly got to his feet.

"They don't see things the way that we do. And they don't see you the way that I do," Ty Lee shook her head. "Don't let them convince you that they're in the right when they aren't. At all."

"Yeah," Elio sighed, not really agreeing with her. "I'm gonna go stand guard." He said, grabbing his staff and beginning to exit the caravan.

"I'm coming with you." Ty Lee said, hurrying to finish her hair.

"No, you should stay." He quickly tried to stop her.

"You're not going to make me change my mind, Elio. So let's go keep watch." Ty Lee stood her ground.

Not wanting to fight anymore, he nodded silently and they exited the caravan together. They took their post at the edge of the camp looking towards the hostile town in the distance. They sat together on the ground.

Elio wasn't really in the mood to talk, but he felt reassured to have Ty Lee there with him. Any dialogue between them was brief, but after awhile, she took hold of his hand. That alone was enough to show him that he wasn't alone now...

The sun began to set. As it sank lower and lower, Elio rubbed his eyes and saw some men coming towards them, all gathered together in a crowd. Elio and Ty Lee both quickly stood up. He took a hold of his staff.

"Here they come," Ty Lee said once she saw that they were indeed hostile men from the town coming to attack. "Everyone! We have a code black!" She shouted back to the others. The other troupe members quickly took cover, leaving only a couple people to back Ty Lee and Elio.

"Don't take another step!" Elio said firmly, stepping forward. "If your intentions are harmful, I strongly advise that you turn around right now."

"Don't try and hide behind your circus friends, firebender," One of them said. "You can't expect to take us all on."

"You're making a mistake! This is your last chance to turn back!" Ty Lee threatened, putting up her fists.

"Get him!" The mob shouted, beginning to rush forward.

Elio stepped forward again, creating a line of fire in front of them. He used his right hand to raise up a protective wall of fire. As the stunned members of the mob quickly stepped back, Elio began to spin his staff in a circle.

As he spun the staff around, he began to feel a strange sensation in his hands. His bending was being amplified by the metal. He turned and swung it like a club. A streak of fire shot out from the staff and through the wall, creating a huge flume on the other side.

"Woah!" Ty Lee exclaimed in surprise.

Elio jumped through the firewall and quickly went on the attack. He swung his staff, hitting the man closest to him in the shin. Elio turned and slid his hands down the staff, moving it backwards to smash the end into the face of a second attacker. He then jumped and twisted his body, kicking the first man in the side of the head.

An arrow whizzed past Elio. He stumbled sideways as an archer continued to shoot at him. Elio rolled to dodge another arrow before shooting a fireball back at the archer. As the archer jumped to dodge it, Elio swung his staff again, creating a large curved blast that hit the archer and knocked him back.

Several more men rushed towards Elio to try and grab him and force him to the ground. Elio used his firebending to push himself into a high backflip. As he flew backwards, he created two trails of fire with his hands and slammed the fire downwards into the ground.

Fire began to spread across the trail. Elio took hold of it with his bending and spread it out, hitting multiple men with quick, small fireballs. He growled loudly as he spun around in a half circle, creating a circle of fire and spreading it out to hit anyone nearby.

Elio yelped in pain as he felt something whip him in the back. He turned to see a man with a chain rope swinging it at him. Elio jumped back to dodge the second attack. He used his staff to catch the whip, but the man pulled it out of his hands suddenly.

As Elio stumbled forward, he quickly took another lash to the face. He yelped again and clutched his face, nearly falling over. As the man attacked again, Elio created fire out of his hand and tried to catch it. All he got was a third lash on his hand.

Before the man could do more damage to him, Ty Lee interfered on Elio's behalf. She slid behind the man with the chain rope and took him down with a few swift punches. He doubled over and fell onto the ground.

As Elio reached to pick up his staff, he heard the familiar sound of earthbending again. He grabbed on tight to his staff and turned his body, swinging it into a boulder that was coming right for him. The boulder was smashed into pieces.

"Earthbenders!" Elio shouted. He saw three earthbenders joining the fight. They were clearly the mob's last resort.

Together, the three earthbenders created a 'wave' and sent it forward. Both Elio and Ty Lee jumped over it. Elio swung his staff downwards to attack, but his attack missed. As he landed, one of them caught his hand and foot in the ground.

Ty Lee saw this and quickly singled out the earthbender that had caught Elio. She rushed towards him, ducking under a boulder by sliding forward and bending backwards. She quickly came back up and swept his legs out from under him, immobilizing him with strikes to the arm and chest.

Elio grabbed his staff with his free hand and broke the rock around his other hand and foot. He got free just in time to dodge another boulder being thrown at him. He got to his feet and broke another boulder with a swing of his staff.

He stepped sideways and began spinning his staff, creating fire out of it. As he turned it faster, the wheel of fire that he created got bigger. Elio spun around and swung towards the other two earthbenders, sending a curved streak of fire at a high velocity.

Both of the earthbenders created a protective wall to block Elio's fire attack. Ty Lee, from the other side of the wall, punched the earthbender closest to her. It didn't block any chi points, but it was enough to cause the wall to fall.

Ty Lee ducked under a roundhouse kick and jumped back to avoid being hit in the side by a wall of earth. Elio tried to advance and help her, but he was being kept back by exchanging long-distance attacks with the other remaining earthbender.

The earthbender fighting Ty Lee began sending boulders her way. Rather than try to dodge them, she jumped up over them and landed on the other side of her opponent. However, right when she landed, the earthbender shifted the ground beneath her feet.

"W-Woah! Unh!" She stumbled in shock and turned around just in time to be hit square in the chest by a boulder. She was shot back hard, tumbling and sliding across the grass before laying out on her face.

"Ty Lee!" Elio shouted in shock.

He quickly started acting more urgently, stepping forward and batting away the boulders being shot at him. He jumped up high with his firebending before the other earthbender could shift the ground under his feet too.

Up in the air, Elio began to spin in circles, spinning his staff again and sending waves of fire towards them. The earthbenders blocked them with earth walls again. Elio landed on the ground and rushed forward, sending multiple fireballs ahead of him.

As the earth walls came down, the fireballs all crashed into one of the earthbenders. He shouted and slid back on the trail. Elio quickly jumped up and flipped forward to come down on him with a crushing fire kick.

The other earthbender shifted the ground underneath his partner, pulling him out from under Elio's attack. Elio landed and grabbed onto his staff again, swinging another attack at the other firebender. He ducked under it.

Still drawing on his rage, Elio dropped his staff and started using both hands to shoot a flurry of fireballs. The earthbender still on his feet raised up a wall to weather through them. As the other earthbender began to get up, Elio quickly put him back down.

He turned and got down on one knee, sending out fire with both hands into the earthbender beginning to stand. He screamed as he caught on fire. With one more fireball, Elio sent him sliding across the grass and knocked him unconscious.

Elio created two whips of fire and began lashing at the last earthbender's protective wall. With each hit, it began to crack open. Seeing this, the earthbender began shooting boulders at him, using the wall as ammo. Elio dodged each one and let go of his whips.

As he got in close, he created two knives out of fire. Elio stepped forward, attempting to slice at his chest several times. The earthbender jumped and dodged each attack, but wasn't able to plant his feet to perform any earthbending.

Elio continued to pursue him, throwing a fireball into his chest. As he stumbled back, Elio threw another fireball at his face. The earthbender hopped sideways and got into his stance, lifting up another wall.

As the wall went up, Elio dove forward, barely making it over in time. He rolled to his feet and made another fire whip, lashing him in the side. The earthbender stepped forward to shift the ground again.

Before he could do it, Elio stepped in and punched him in the elbow. He was going for a chi point, but he just punched his elbow out of place. He punched him in several more chi points successfully, and the earthbender folded to the ground.

Elio kicked him in the face as he was doubling over, laying him out flat. He walked over and stomped on his head two more times. Growling in animalistic anger, he turned around and saw that there were more men with weapons coming, but they were watching with fear.

Elio took several steps towards them. With a few quick movements of his hands, he forcefully sent out roaring blasts of fire towards them. The last of mob quickly turned and ran back towards town. The fight was over.

"Ty Lee!" Elio remembered. He quickly rushed over to where she was laying. She had turned onto her back. He quickly slid down on his knees and turned to help her sit up, "Ty Lee, are you alright?!"

"I-I'm okay. I'm not injured. J-Just shaken up." Ty Lee shuddered, holding onto her rib area. Elio ran his hand across that area.

"Are you sure you're not injured?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Are you okay?" She looked up at him worriedly. Elio swallowed and nodded silently, helping her stand up.

As Elio helped Ty Lee walk back towards the camp, they looked and saw what had happened. The other men who had fought with them all looked pretty beaten up. Some of the caravans and cages had been broken by the projectile boulders. The damage of the battle was evident.

"Thank you for protecting us." One of the circus girls said to them as they made their way back to her caravan.

"This is gonna suck to rebuild. Costly too," Mel grumbed. "But I'm glad you all are alright."

"Do either of you need medical attention? I can call one of our medics." Boris offered.

"I think we're okay. Thank you," Ty Lee answered. "I just need to lie down."

"I knew that bringing a firebender into our show would turn out badly." One of the jugglers commented.

"Don't you dare say anything bad about him! Not after he just risked his life to save you!" Ty Lee yelled in his general direction.

"Shh shh, Ty Lee, don't push yourself. Come on." He said, urging her to relax before they entered into her caravan. He walked her to her bed and she sat back, propped up against her pillows.

"How are you feeling? Where does it hurt?" He quickly asked.

"I'm okay, Elio. It mostly just knocked the air out of me. I'll be okay by tomorrow." She said. She was doing her best to be reassuring and firm, but she was shaking a bit. Elio saw this and took her hand.

"You took a hard hit, Ty Lee. I was really scared." He said. She nodded and sniffed. Even though the hit hadn't hurt her as bad as they'd expected, the thought of how badit _could have been_ was disturbing enough.

"Yeah… I was too. B-But I'll be okay. What about you? You look worse than me."

"I took some bad hits, but it's not as bad as it looks. I'll see the medic in a few." He said quickly.

"I'm glad you were here, Elio. Things would've been way worse if you weren't here."

"If I wasn't here, this wouldn't have happened." Elio pointed out.

"Elio…"

"No, Ty Lee, it's true. As long as I'm here, you and the entire troupe is in danger… I have to leave the circus." He decided.

"No. No, Elio, you can't! This is your dream!" She tried to get him to stay.

"This will just keep happening again and again. I can't put you all in danger like that; I don't care how well you can take care of yourself. What if you take a hit that you can't shake off? It'd be my fault." He argued.

"Please, Elio… I really like you. I don't want you to go."

"I really like you too, Ty Lee… I'm sorry. It's the only way to make sure everyone is safe." He said regretfully.

"I'm sorry too… I guess you're right… Those stupid earthbenders ruined everything." She shook her head bitterly.

"Yeah… I should go now so they don't come back."

"Yeah… Please stay safe, Elio." She pleaded.

"I'll try…" Elio said sadly. He really didn't want to go either, but it was the right thing to do for the sake of everyone else.

Ty Lee grabbed onto him and pulled him closer, kissing him. This caught him by surprise, but he kissed back without hesitation. He held onto her for a few moments longer before letting her go and standing up.

"Goodbye, Ty Lee. I hope I can see you again." He said sincerely.

"Me too." She said, looking down sadly. Elio swallowed and exited her caravan with his things.

Elio made his way towards the trail, back towards the town. As he walked towards the edge, the other troupe members watched him. As he stepped towards the edge, Boris caught up with him.

"You're leaving us, aren't you, kid?" He asked.

"Yes… I'm sorry for the damage I brought on everyone. It was foolish of me to ever think that this could work out."

"It's never foolish to go after what you want in life, bud, but I get it… Be safe out there, Elio. I hope one day you can come back." Boris said sincerely.

"I hope so too." Elio said, highly doubting it would ever happen. It hurt to give up the one thing he'd always wanted; he had already convinced himself that he would never get this chance again.

Elio left the camp without another word to anyone else. He stepped out onto the trail and looked over the town ahead. He was angry at them to the point that he was considering going back there and taking revenge.

But he couldn't bring himself to be that person. So he picked up his staff, looked towards his right, and went hiking up into the mountains…


	12. The Yellow Horizon

Elio felt like he was getting a fever. His body was hot and cold; he was shivering and also sweating. He tossed and turned in his bed. His body tensed and relaxed again and again. Every time he heard the sound of sliding rock, it startled his nerves.

He finally sat up with a jolt. His hands were ready to fight, but he knew there was no one in the room. He rubbed his eyes with a tired groan and wiped his brow with his blanket. He got up out of bed and walked over to the window of his room.

He was staying in an inn within the walls of Omashu. It was a beautiful, tall city, but it was crawling with earthbenders. They were guarding the gates before he entered, and they seemed to run the city's delivery system through a series of slides.

The constant sounds of earthbending kept him on edge all the time. He could hear them by the gates, in the market, and even now in the dead of night he could hear them from his room.

Never before had he felt so unsafe, so stifled and surrounded by danger. His chest felt like it had been tight inside all day; he felt like if he breathed too much, he would be attacked. He could tell he wouldn't be getting much more sleep tonight…

He needed to get out of the Earth Kingdom…

Although he had nothing against the city itself, he was happy to put Omashu behind him the next morning. However, there was some good that had come out of staying there. While he was buying food for his journey, he had heard reports of a trade ship that had made port on the other side of the mountains.

In the days that he spent being guided around the mountains towards the next town, he was again reminded of why the citizens of the Earth Kingdom hated the Fire Nation so much.

In order to avoid a Fire Nation base, he along with dozens of other refugees were led by a guide safely around the mountains. The route was long, twisting and winding like a snake. It was hot and exhausting. He felt tired all the time, and it was obvious that the other refugees traveling with him felt the same.

The Fire Nation had made life hard for so many people. It had made life hard for Elio too, but for a different reason. They suffered because they weren't with the Fire Nation. He suffered because he had chosen not to stand with the Fire Nation.

Being caught in the middle of this war without fighting on either side was the right thing to do, but it was a lonely feeling too. It seemed there was no one that he could trust.

He finally arrived in the coastal town he had set out for. He immediately made his way to the harbor and walked down the line of ships until he found what he was looking for: a yellow flag with the outline of a sun with a bird in front of it as its insignia. He approached two men who were loading up cargo.

"I'd like to speak with your captain, please." He said as he approached them.

"Do you have business with him?" One of them asked.

"I heard that you're looking for crew members. I'd like to join." Elio stated simply. Both men looked him over, cocking their eyebrows.

"You sure about that, kid? It ain't easy work." The other man warned.

"I'll do what I have to do. Where can I speak with him?" He asked.

"He's at the helm. Right up there." The first man pointed. Elio nodded thankfully and made his way up onto the ship.

He looked around curiously. He watched as the crew members lifted crates from the dock onto the plank and pushed them up onto the ship. It looked busy; he was definitely going to be worked hard here. But any change of pace was welcome to him.

Besides, he'd often wondered what it would be like to be a sailor.

"Do I know you, kid?" The captain asked as Elio approached him. Elio shook his head.

"No, sir. My name is Elio. I would like to join your crew." He stated simply yet respectfully.

"That so? Where'd you hear that I needed people?" He asked curiously.

"Omashu. Just a few days' journey away. I-I don't really have any sailing experience, but I'm willing to learn whatever I need to learn." He said sincerely. The captain nodded.

"Very well. You said your name was Elio?" He asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Welcome aboard the Yellow Horizon, Elio," The captain said, shaking hands with him. "You can call me Captain Po, or just captain. I'll show you to where you'll be staying in the barracks, and then you can get started with this cargo."

Down in the barracks of the Yellow Horizon, Elio laid tiredly in his hammock in the dim light. After several days of walking just to get here, he had been hoping to catch a bit of a break on his first day, but that wasn't how Captain Po did things.

At the very least, he could rest now while ship set sail. Finally, he was free from the fear of earthbending, even if only temporarily. Now he was surrounded by the sounds of the ocean water and the tapping of footsteps above him. He was much more comfortable with that.

Elio reached into his pack and carefully pulled out his picture of his family. He hadn't really looked at it since the last time he'd been on a ship. He still thought about them daily, wondering how they were doing. Wondering if they were thinking of him…

" _Okayyy, are you ready, Elio?" His mother smiled. Elio didn't want to show too much excitement outwardly, but he couldn't help but crack a smile._

" _I'm ready… How does it look?" He asked._

" _Why don't you take a look for yourself?" She giggled, inviting him to open his eyes._

_Elio swallowed, nervous anticipation building as he opened up his eyes. His eyes fixed on his reflection; his hair had been brushed backwards and parted neatly in a backwards slope. He turned his head and saw the way his hair fell from the back of his head._

" _Well, what do you think? Is it like you wanted?" She asked._

" _It's the closest it's ever come!" He smiled, turning his head again and again to look at it. "It looks great!"_

" _Oh good! I was a little worried. It is an odd style, but now that we have it like this, I see what it is you're going for. I think with a little work and maybe a little hair product, we could make it look really nice." She said, fixing a few stray hair in front of his face._

" _Yeah. You're right." Elio said with a smile. Just then, Taiga entered into the room curiously._

" _Whatcha doing?" She asked._

" _We're trying out a new hairstyle that Elio wanted." Their mother answered._

" _Yeah. What do you think, Taiga?" Elio asked, looking down at his sister. She hummed and rubbed her thumb and pointer finger on her chin._

" _Can I see it a little closer?" She requested._

" _Uh, sure." Elio agreed, leaning down a little bit._

" _It looks great!" She giggled, quickly reaching up and ruffling her hands through his hair to mess it up. She then quickly turned and rushed out of the room to avoid retribution._

" _Taiga!" Rue exclaimed in an upset tone. Elio rolled his eyes and brushed his hair back with his hands._

" _At least we know it can be fixed easily." Elio chuckled a bit, looking in the mirror again. The style didn't look quite as nice anymore now, but he still liked it._

" _Yes. Let me go deal with your sister and then I'll show you how to do this yourself." Rue said, patting her son on the shoulder before exiting the room._

_Elio shook his head with a chuckle, watching her leave before turning his attention back to the mirror. He continued to play around with it, readjusting it and looking at it from different angles…_

"All hands on deck! Time to get to work!" A voice shook Elio out of his dream, or rather, the memory that he was dreaming about. He sat up suddenly, and his nappy hair fell over his face. He brushed it back with his hands and rubbed his eyes before getting out of his hammock, leaving his things within it.

Elio stepped up onto the top deck of the ship. He squinted hard as the fresh sunlight of the morning hit his eyes. It took him a minute for his eyes to adjust, but he made his way to the plank to help with loading and unloading cargo.

As he helped with sliding crates down, he looked over onto the harbor. His eyes fell onto the giant Fire Nation insignia displayed on the warehouse where some of the crates were being taken out from. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it.

Whether he was in the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom, on land or sea, there truly was no escaping the Fire Nation. That was because of the global influence it had. But he also knew that it was partially because of his heritage.

The Fire Nation, like it or not, was a part of who he was.

As the next day drew to a close, Elio went out onto the deck with his dinner in hand. He sat by the edge of the ship, watching the shine of the setting sun reflect across the calming ocean waters.

"Hey, kid. You shouldn't sit on the edge like that. Especially with food. One bad rock and you'll go overboard; you or the food." One of the other crew members, an older gentleman, advised him, walking over with an apple in hand.

"I'm keeping a good hold on my food. I just didn't want to sit down below deck. Not with this view." Elio said, gesturing to the sun beginning to set behind the horizon. The man chuckled and nodded in agreement, standing by the edge of the ship too.

"Yeah, it's the kind of view that keeps men like me sailing back out into the open water." He said, taking a bite of his apple. Elio smiled a bit and nodded.

"My name is Elio. What's yours?" He asked.

"Wo," He introduced himself, shaking hands with him. "Nice to have you on board, Elio. Where are you from?" He asked. Elio shrugged.

"Nowhere. I'm just a traveler." He answered.

"Alright, Elio from nowhere. What made you decide to join the crew of a trade ship?" Wo asked curiously.

"I wanted to get out of the Earth Kingdom," Elio answered honestly. "See more of the world." He answered.

"Ah," Wo nodded and smiled. "That's how I started to. You stick around long enough, kid, you'll get to see plenty. You might not always like what you see though."

"I see," Elio nodded, only getting a general idea of what Wo was talking about. "How long have you been a sailor?"

"I started when I was 16, and I've been going on for another 16 years strong." Wo answered with a proud smile. Elio shook his head in astonishment.

"Wow. You must really love the ocean."

"Haha, I do! When all else fails, the ocean isn't going anywhere. And you never know what it will bring you to. It's always changing." Wo said fondly, looking outwards again. Elio chuckled.

"Haha, maybe instead of a sailor, you should've been a poet." He joked. Wo didn't say anything in response, making Elio cough awkwardly.

"We're playing Pai Sho in the galley if you're interested in joining." Wo offered.

"Never heard of it. Is it fun?"

"Come on, kid. Let me learn you something real quick." He invited with a chuckle. Elio grabbed his things and followed him down.

After the first week, Elio felt like he was starting to get accustomed to the regular ins and outs of sailing on the Yellow Horizon. His main duties were always keeping various parts of the ship clean and orderly, which gave him the chance to meet more of his crew members.

As rough and burly as most of them came across at first, the general atmosphere amongst the crew was overall pretty friendly. Sure, there was a lot of teasing and pushing people's buttons, but it did well to keep everyone loose and laughing.

"Land ho!" The man up in the crow's nest shouted. Elio looked up from his position and gazed upon a small island slowly growing bigger as they got closer.

"What island is that?" Elio asked the captain curiously.

"That, kid, is Kyoshi Island. Legend has it a few hundred years ago, the Avatar cut a piece of land off the tip of the Earth Kingdom and made the island." Captain Po recalled.

" _Made the island_?" Elio repeated with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds a little far-fetched to me." He shrugged it off. Captain Po chuckled.

"Tell the crew to get the cargo ready for drop-off, kid. And don't get too comfortable with the girls you'll meet. They're fiery." The captain warned. Elio gave him an odd look before carrying out the orders he'd been given.

Soon enough, the ship reached the dock. The plank was lowered, and Elio was among the men unloading the cargo onto the dock. Looking over, Elio saw that the town they were delivering to had suffered what appeared to be a lot of fire damage. They looked to be in the process of rebuilding.

"Excuse me!" A girl dressed up in strange garments and wearing white face paint with red highlights walked over. "If it's not too much trouble, could you men help us carry the crates into town, please?" She requested.

"No problem, miss!" One of the men answered. As the last of their cargo was brought out onto the dock, a number of girls all wearing the same clothing and face paint walked over to help with picking up the crates. Elio paired off with one of the girls in carrying a longer crate into town.

"Hey. What's your name?" The girl asked him.

"I'm Elio. What's yours?"

"I'm Grace. Nice to meet you." She smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Grace. So, what's up with the makeup? You all seem to have it." Elio curiously observed.

"It's the face paint that Avatar Kyoshi used to wear. We're the Kyoshi Warriors; we model our life and fighting styles after her." She explained.

"Makes sense. Is everything here centered around Avatar Kyoshi?"

"Yep! She accomplished so much in our lifetime. She really set an example we all could learn from." Grace said. Elio shrugged and nodded.

"Interesting. Is that statue there supposed to be of her too?" He asked, glancing over at the tall statue of a painted woman holding fans. Graced nodded.

"Yeah, that's her! Pretty cool, huh? She founded this island a few hundred years ago. And she's not the only Avatar to set foot here. A while ago, we had Avatar Aang here!" She said excitedly.

"Aang was here? Really?" Elio asked in surprise.

"Yeah! Sounds like you met him already." Grace observed with a chuckle.

"Uh, yeah. I met him once…a while ago." Elio swallowed, not wanting to think back to the circumstances around their meeting right now.

"That's cool that you got to meet him too! He stayed with us for awhile, but then he and his friends had to go when this squadron of firebenders showed up. As you can tell, they did a lot of damage, but Aang put out the fires before they escaped." Grace recalled the events.

"Oh wow. So there were firebenders here too?" He asked in surprise.

"Uhuh. They were led by this guy with a ponytail and a scar. I think his name was Zuh-ko." She tried to remember. Elio stopped walking, causing Grace to bump into the crate.

"You mean Zuko? As in Prince Zuko?" He asked with widened eyes.

"Oh, you know about him too?" Grace asked. Elio continued walking back so they could deliver the crate, talking at the same time.

"Zuko was the prince of the Fire Nation, the son of the Fire Lord. He was banished by his father after he spoke out of turn. He was sent to capture the Avatar… That was back before the Avatar returned." Elio realized.

"Woah." Grace's eyes widened too.

"It sounds like you know a lot about the Fire Nation," Another Kyoshi Warrior commented, walking over to them. "You can set that crate down here. This is where it goes." She said.

"Alright. Great." Elio said. He and Grace set the crate down. However, this new girl continued to stare him down. Elio looked at her oddly, waiting for her to speak.

"What did you say your name was?" She asked.

"Uh, I'm Elio…?" He answered, wondering why this girl was being so stand-offish with him.

"Tell me, Elio, how is it that you know so much about this Prince Zuko? We didn't even know he was a prince, yet you seem to know his whole origin story. Do you know him?"

"N-No, not really. I've just done a lot of traveling around. You hear things, you know?" Elio carefully lied. She hummed suspiciously but nodded.

"Alright. Grace, leave us for a few. I have a few things I'd like to discuss."

"Okay!" Grace agreed, quickly scurrying away and leaving Elio with his girl, who was now starting to give the impression to him that she was the leader of this group.

"What else do you know about the Fire Nation, Elio?" She asked, her attitude softening some.

"Depends on what you want to know. Why?" He asked.

"After Avatar Aang came and went, me and the other Kyoshi Warriors realize that we have something to offer in this war in the Fire Nation. This island is my birth home, and it was practically burned to the ground. I can only imagine how many people in the other nations have experienced the same thing…

"Anything about how they fight, how they operate; it would be a huge help in our effort once we leave the island." She explained.

"Oh!" Elio exclaimed. At first, he was going to simply deny knowing anything. However, these girls were likely to get in over their heads if they went out to fight without knowing anything about their opponents. He had something to offer here, and he could do it secretly…

"Well?"

"Let me finish my duties. I'll meet you again before leave shore." He promised.

"Hey, kid, where're you off to?" Captain Po asked when he noticed that Elio was getting ready to step off the ship. Elio glanced back at the captain.

"One of the Kyoshi Warrior leaders has asked to see me, sir. I'll try to keep my visit brief."

"I did tell you to be careful with the girls on this island. They don't play games, kid," He reminded Elio before chuckling. "We leave before sundown. Just be back by then unless you want to be left behind."

"Yes, captain. Thank you!" He said appreciatively, waving before hopping off of the ship and hurrying back onto the island.

"Kids." Po chuckled.

"There you are. I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show." The girl greeted him. They met by the base of Kyoshi's statue.

"Sorry. I just had to finish my duties on the ship. I have a little over an hour." He informed her.

"Alright. How long do you think it will take to show me what you need to show me?" She asked.

"Depends on how fast of a learner you are." Elio replied with a friendly smile. She smirked a bit, taking this statement as a welcome challenge.

"I do pretty well. Let's head over here to that open area," She pointed before leading him there. "What is it that you wanna show me?" She asked curiously.

"I have some knowledge on how firebenders fight. I can show you how they usually approach a battle." He said.

"Really? That's perfect!" She said. They stopped in the open area, "Let's get started then."

"Okay. First thing you wanna know is that firebenders always take power stances," He began, getting into a typical firebending stance. "They keep their center of gravity centered, and usually advance when attacking like this." He punched forward while taking a forward step, keeping his stance.

"I see," She observed his form. "When we were fighting the firebenders that invaded the island, most of them would aim their blows directly in front of them. Is that the norm?" She asked.

"Yes. Even when they're turning, they always operate in lines. Sometimes that means a forward blast, or they'll swing their hand across their bodies and create a boomerang-shaped blast," He described as he demonstrated the changes in stances. "But you will rarely run into firebenders who can curve their blasts."

"Interesting… Show me again."

Elio continued teaching this girl what he knew from his time in school. He showed her the stances and motions of firebending, he mapped out the different sizes of fire blasts on the sand of the island beach, and he walked her through different attacks and counterattacks for both himself and for her.

He'd never been one who cared for fighting, but he found himself going through this process with more vigor than normal. Knowing that his teachings could save this girl's life, and that there was a significant purpose behind all this made the process important to him, but it was also kind of fun too.

Elio took a few steps back and got into a firebending stance. Now the time had come for the final test of this training session: a sparring match. For once, Elio put himself in the mind of a firebending soldier so he could act out this fight like one, even if this girl didn't know he was hiding his true abilities.

Elio made the first move, stepping forward and mimicked shooting forward a big fire blast. She quickly stepped to the side, rushing forward to close the distance between the two of them. He threw another fire blast that she jumped over.

Surprised by her display of agility, Elio threw more fire blasts that all came just behind her pathway through the air. She landed behind him. He quickly turned and swiped his hand for another fire blast. She ducked under it, so Elio threw a kick at her.

She blocked the kick with her arm, turning to try and sweep his leg out from under him. Not wanting to be outdone too easily, he jumped under her sweep kick and stepped back. He went for another fire blast.

This time, she did a strange maneuver with her fan. She swiped it through the air, evidently cutting through the fire blast. She grabbed onto his shoulder, jumping over him and using her own weight and momentum to put his back on the sand.

"Unh!" Elio grunted from the impact. He opened his eyes to find this girl leaning over him, pinning his shoulder down with one hand and her fist ready to punch him with the other. His eyes widened in surprise.

This girl was more skilled than what he'd been giving her credit for.

"Anything else you'd like to show me?" She asked, letting him go so he could stand. He got up and turned back towards her.

"No, I don't think so. You definitely have what you need to take on any firebender." Elio said with a smile.

"Good! I'll pass what you've shown me on to the other Kyoshi Warriors. Thank you, Elio. You've been a huge help. Where'd you learn all of this?" She asked curiously.

"I've seen a lot of firebending up close in my travels. You pick things up," He answered. "I hope that it helps. You know, I never got your name before." He brought up.

"It's Suki," She said with a chuckle. "It was nice to meet you. Thank you again."

"You're welcome, Suki," He responded with a smile. "I really should get going. But I hope that everything I showed you comes in handy."

"I have the feeling it will. Safe travels!" She said with a wave.

"You too!" He waved in return, turning and running back towards the ship with a smile. Even though he'd been remaining neutral up until now, he could take pride in the feeling that he had done some good.

He ran back onto the deck of the Yellow Horizon. From the looks of the crew, it appeared as though they were just about to set sail. He reported back to the captain, who chuckled and shook his head when he arrived.

"You nearly missed the deadline, kid. Have fun with the girl?" He asked.

"I did," He answered before realizing that the captain was alluding to something different. "Wait, no, that's not-"

"Good for you, kid." He laughed. "Now keep a tight hold on the sails. Let's get on out of here."

Elio helped with getting the ship ready to sail away from Kyoshi Island. As wind filled the sails and the ship lurched forward, he looked back at the island and sighed.

He'd already developed an attachment to the place, not because he wanted to stay, but because of the lesson it reminded him of; something that the current Avatar had told him.

Turns out he was capable of doing good after all. He kind of liked the feeling of contributing something to the war, not just keeping his head down…

"Captain! Monster in the water!" The man up in the crow's nest shouted.

Everyone in the ship looked ahead to see a giant water serpent crossing back and forth in the water in front of them. Panic ensued onboard and they began to shout in fear. Captain Po raised his voice to direct his men.

"Quit running around like frightened animals! Get to your posts! We'll see if we can steer around this thing! Have your weapons and harpoons at the ready!" He quickly ordered. Elio swallowed nervously.

"Sir, what do I do?" Elio asked, his hands beginning to shake.

"Grab a harpoon and stay back where it's safe. You got more life left to live than most of us, kid." Po ordered him, grabbing a small harpoon and passing it to Elio. He caught it and gripped onto it tightly.

As the ship slowly worked around the giant serpent, its head lifted out of the water. The men watched silently, shaking fearfully at the sound of its low breathing. It turned its head and suddenly roared at them with a loud screeching noise.

"It spotted us!" The men shouted. The serpent quickly began to swim towards the ship, causing the waves to push against the ship.

"You need to get out of here now!" A female voice broke the air. Elio and Captain Po turned to see one of the Kyoshi Warriors running and taking hold of the steering wheel. Her makeup had washed off and her clothes were wet.

She must've swam onboard.

"Hands off the wheel, lady. We can manage!" Po demanded.

"You won't be able to work away from the Unagi this way. You have to drift with the waves when it moves! I can get you away from its territory!" She explained quickly.

"I'll guard her, captain! The other men need you!" Elio said, taking hold of the harpoon and standing on guard by her. Po gave in and nodded, rushing to the deck.

"Keep your hands steady!" Po shouted to everyone on board.

"I don't know if you guys have poor luck or poor timing." The Kyoshi Warrior steering the ship said. Elio glanced back at her.

"That thing wasn't here when we arrived!"

"It probably wasn't hungry when you arrived! Here it comes!" She pointed. Elio turned around. His harpoon nearly slipped out of his hands.

The Unagi raised up, lurching over the ship. The crew all looked up in fear. It was huge! There was no way they were going to be able to fight it off. It would only take something as simple as it falling on the ship and the ship would be broken in half.

It snarled and reeled back, spitting water at them. It hit the deck of the ship hard. The water smacked into the crew members and made them slip and fall. The Kyoshi Warrior at the wheel quickly spun the wheel to get the boat to turn.

"Water on deck! Grab your buckets!" Po ordered. The crew members who weren't paralyzed with fear quickly scrambled to get water off the ship. The Unagi leaned in to take a bite out of the ship, but it became distracted when it was hit by some debris.

Elio looked up and saw other Kyoshi Warriors shooting garbage and glass with slingshots, from the beach, at the Unagi to get its attention. It turned its head and spat its water at them. The girls scrambled to avoid getting hit directly by it, which kept it occupied as the ship made its way around the curve of the island.

"Keep the ship steady. You should be able to get away safely before the Unagi realizes you're gone. We'll keep its attention." Elio turned back to the girl. He didn't recognize her face without the makeup, but he realized who it was by the voice.

"Suki! What're you gonna do, Suki?!"

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Take the wheel!" She stepped away from the wheel. Elio quickly dropped his harpoon and grabbed the steering wheel. He watched as Suki ran up to the edge of the ship.

"Wait! It'll get you if you try to swim back!" Elio warned worriedly. She looked back at him.

"I'll be fine, don't worry! You get your men out of here!" She insisted before stepping up and turning around with a smile, "If you're lucky, we might just see each other again." She said, waving before diving into the water. Elio wanted to run to the edge to ensure she made it, but he couldn't let go of the wheel...

He and the crew did make it out alive thankfully. Once they were safely away and the crew calmed down, everyone was let off easy for the night and allowed to either rest or worry only about keeping the ship going towards the next destination.

Elio laid in his hammock again, his fingers interlaced as he stared up at the ceiling. He wanted to sleep, but he kept replaying the events with Unagi in his head again and again. He could only wonder in vain whether or not Suki had made it back alive.

Even on the ocean, he still wasn't truly safe. Even if it wasn't coming from the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom, death could take him at any time. Until he came to terms with that fact, he was never going to be able to have peace.

It seemed like his life was just destined for conflict…


	13. The Princess

"Hey, kid!" Wo greeted Elio as he came down into the crew member's quarters. Elio nodded and smiled politely as he made his way to his hammock.

"Evening, Wo. How's your shoulder?" He asked.

"Not too bad. I've been stretching it out. How're you doin'? You seem to finally be hitting your stride as a sailor." He observed approvingly.

"I think so. I appreciate your help in getting to this point."

"Of course, of course. That's what a crew is for. Oh hey, kid, before you turn in though – quick question." He said to get Elio to stop. Elio turned back towards him.

"What's up?"

"Something of yours fell out of your hammock earlier. I wanted to ask you about it."

Elio swallowed nervously. His mind immediately listed all of the most incriminating things he had in his belongings: top of that list was his family portrait. They were all dressed in formal Fire Nation clothing in that picture.

"Yes?" Elio asked, doing his best to remain maintain a natural looking expression.

"That black pole. What's that about?" Wo asked. Elio let out a sigh of relief.

"It's not a pole. It's my staff. It's a custom piece that was given to me by my master." He explained simply. Wo's eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"You trained with a staff?"

"Yes. I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I practice when I can."

"You'll have to show me some of your skills. And maybe wrap your hammock up so it doesn't fall on the floor again. It was pretty loud." He recommended with a chuckle.

"Haha, okay. Will do. Goodnight, Wo." Elio said quickly, hurrying over to his hammock so he could lay down and let his heart stop racing.

"Goodnight, Elio. Oh, by the way, we arrive at our next destination tomorrow. We'll be there all day again. Just let the captain know if you're uncomfortable with entering the city." Wo informed him.

"Understood… Uncomfortable? Where're we going?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Fire Foundation City." Wo answered. Elio's face went completely pale.

"We-We're going to the Fire Nation?"

"Yep! It should be fine, just keep your guard up. If you do go into the city, maybe take that pole with you just in case." Wo suggested with a chuckle before leaving…

Elio's nerves kept him from sleeping well that night. This was a worst-case scenario! He was sailing right back into the Fire Nation! What if someone recognized him?

When the next day came, Elio was right there at the front of the ship, watching as Fire Foundation City grew closer and closer. He'd heard about this place but he'd never been here before; his parents were always quick to disapprove of the place, calling it a slimy breeding ground for criminals and scam artists.

"You asked to speak with me, Elio?" Captain Po asked, joining him at the front of the ship. Elio turned around.

"Sir, I'm not comfortable going into the city. Are there any duties that I can attend to here on the ship?" Elio asked. Captain Po's expression looked regretful, which was not encouraging for him.

"I'm sorry, kid. I'm afraid not. I have two crates that I need you to bring to a shop. I'll give you the address; it's towards the center of town. I'll give you some Fire Nation credits in case you need to break change with the owner."

"But sir!" Elio began to protest.

"Just go in and out quickly, Elio. I promise that if you keep your head down, go straight there and back, and don't speak to anyone, you should be just fine.

"Then you can stay on the ship for the rest of the day until we leave in the evening." He promised. Elio sighed in defeat and nodded. If he fought anymore, it would draw suspicion.

"Yes, sir."

And so when the Yellow Horizon reached the harbor of Fire Foundation City, Elio grabbed the two crates he needed along with some money and his staff, and he went into the city. He walked cautiously, his eyes constantly searching for threats.

His parents weren't wrong about this place; it made him uncomfortable to be here. It didn't give him the same constant fear of being attacked as the Earth Kingdom, but he did feel like if he looked at the wrong person, it would become a possibility.

Finally, he reached the shop that he was delivering the crates to. He conducted business as quickly and respectfully as possible. He stepped out the door and was ready to turn back, but then something huge caught his eye…

The shop was situated not far from the center of the city. And in the center of Fire Foundation City stood a titan-sized statue of Fire Lord Ozai. The statue shot constant fire out of its mouth and fists. It was an overt display of the power and stature that the Fire Lord held.

Elio found himself drawn to the statue. He approached the base of it and looked up. The statue was easily a hundred times taller than he was; or at the very least, that's how it felt when he stood in its presence. He was a dwarf in its shadow.

Elio thought back to his father and how he often spoke of his love for his country, how he proudly served an oath to the Fire Lord. As a child, he was given the chance to meet Fire Lord Ozai once, but he declined out of intimidation.

Every Fire Nation soldier, general, so on all served their roles to accomplish this; not the statue itself, but the man it depicted and everything he stood for…

"Gah!" A man suddenly yelped, falling to the ground to his left. Elio turned and saw the man fall to the ground with a burnt hole in the back of his garment. He dropped a pouch containing Fire Nation credits. Elio reached behind him.

The man who fell had stolen his money, and he hadn't noticed because he was too engrossed in looking at this statue.

However, he watched as an individual dressed in red and wearing a long black hood and cloak walked over to the man. The hooded person snapped their fingers twice, and two Fire Nation soldiers walked over to drag the man away. A third soldier picked up the pouch and handed it to this person, who then walked over to hand it back to Elio.

"You would do well to be more attentive. Had I not been feeling generous, you would have had all your money stolen." She laughed. Her voice was confident and had a crisp sassiness to it. Elio took his money back and hitched it to his belt.

"That's on me. Thank you." He said thankfully. He couldn't see her full face because of the hood, but she looked up at him enough to where she could look him in the eyes.

"Just try not to be so stupid next time." She replied teasingly.

Elio's eyes widened in shock. She had a proud face, fierce eyes, and a charming smirk. She was very pretty. But that's not what was shocking to Elio. What _was shocking to Elio_ was that he already knew who she was.

"Princess Azula?" He said in realizing recognition. Immediately, her eyebrows raised with intrigue. She hadn't expected to be recognized.

"Oh? Have we met before?" She asked. Elio swallowed. He'd already made it obvious. If he was going to get out of this, he was going to have to cautious but truthful.

"You went to school with my sister. But we've never spoken."

"Ah, interesting. Well then, why don't you tell me your name and what you're doing here in the city?" She suggested, curling the fingers of her hand inwards.

"My name is Elio, princess. I came here on a trade ship to make a delivery." He answered. She nodded and hummed, her bottom lip extending out a bit.

"I don't see a naval uniform on you, Elio. Did the regulations change recently?" She asked in a tone that seemed to be mocking him, but he couldn't tell.

"No… Uniforms attract too much attention. I was asked to dress in plain clothes for my own safety." He carefully lied. Azula nodded again, seemingly satisfied with this answer.

"Walk with me." She said, turning and beginning to walk away from the statue.

"What?" Elio flinched in surprise.

"Come on. Let's talk somewhere less crowded." She waved her hand for him to follow. Elio eyed the soldiers that were all guarding her from a short distance away. He had no choice but to fall in step next to her.

"Am I in trouble, princess?" He asked. She chuckled.

"No, not yet anyways. Actually, I think there's a way you could assist me. Let's step into here." She pointed out a weapons shop and led him inside.

"You want my help?" He asked in surprise. Elio looked nervously behind him but walked with her into an empty aisle of the store. Azula turned towards him, looking up again so she could look him in the eyes again.

"I've received word that a small gang of Earth Kingdom citizens have infiltrated the city. They're no doubt looking for information and weaknesses to exploit; perhaps they plan to report back to their superiors.

"Either way, I've taken it upon myself to hunt them down before they claw their way into doing any real damage." Azula explained her mission. Elio's eyebrows furrowed and he nodded in understanding.

"I see… But how is it you think I can help you with that?" He asked. Azula smiled sideways; she seemed amused.

"Ha, well if your reaction to seeing my face is anything to go by, I run the risk of being recognized while I'm here. You have no such risk, Elio. I want you to investigate some leads and report back to me. Together, we can find where these men are hiding."

Was Elio dreaming? The princess of the Fire Nation was asking for his help! There seemed to be no way to get out of this situation, but he had to try and respectfully withdrawal. He definitely couldn't risk having her find out who he was.

"Princess… I am honored by your request. But surely you have more capable men with you that can carry out this task." He tried.

"You would think so, but sadly, competent help is scarce," She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She smiled sideways at him. "You seem competent though. You at least have some intelligence."

"…thank you?"

"Don't mention it. I'm confident that you'll be successful in this mission, Elio. So, will you do this for me?" She asked. Elio swallowed.

"I… I do have tasks to attend to back on my ship. I'm not sure." He tried to excuse himself. Azula rolled her eyes, indifferent to his responsibilities.

"Ah yes, don't let me keep you from swabbing the top deck or whatever it is you call it," She said sarcastically, rolling her hand around in circles. Her expression changed slightly, and she tried another approach.

"I suppose if you don't help me and I'm unsuccessful, that nasty Earth Kingdom gang will just continue to assault more poor Fire Nation citizens."

"What?"

"Oh? Did I forget to mention? As this gang has been making their way through different Fire Nation settlements, they've been pillaging villages and attacking citizens: men, women, you get the picture."

Elio's gaze fell a bit as he pondered this. This changed his perspective on the situation; he couldn't in good conscious let that sort of thing happen. Not when it was within his power to stop it. Plus, saying no now would put him in an even worse position. He knew that was why Azula had brought it up; he definitely couldn't say no to her now.

"I'll do what I can to help, princess." He agreed.

"Excellent," She smiled wider. "Let's get started."

" _The plan is simple: I want you to find information on where the gang is hiding. I don't care what methods you use; who you have to interrogate. As soon as you find out, report back to me. I'll stay close by waiting for you."_

Elio entered into a small restaurant. He entered in quietly, not making eye contact with anyone yet. He first needed to confirm that what he was looking for was there. Sure enough, he found it: a Pai Sho table placed in the corner of the room.

Elio went over to where two older gentleman were sitting and talking. He smiled politely at them as he approached the table.

"Is it alright if I join in for a quick game?" He requested. The older men chuckled and allowed him to sit.

"What's a young man like you doing playing Pai Sho?" One of them asked.

"I enjoy the strategy." He answered with a smile, setting his pieces down.

"Huh, that's a very aggressive, forward layout." The other man observed.

"True. But sometimes you have to make the first move – if anything, just to give the game an interesting beginning."

Elio didn't end up winning the game; he was still a beginner after all. But he learned what he'd needed to learn. He stepped out of the restaurant about half an hour later. He found Azula leaning back against a wall watching a man conducting a cup game.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Have you been here the whole time?" Elio asked as he joined her. She shook her head and shrugged.

"No. I did a little digging of my own, came up empty, got some food. I figured I'd just entertain myself for awhile watching people get swindled out of their money." She summarized, concluding with a humorous chuckle. Elio leaned against the wall on his shoulder, turning to watch the cup game too.

It was a simple children's game: the man had three cups set upside down. He hid a small stone underneath one of them and shuffled them around. Then the player would select the cup that he believed had the stone in it.

"How're people losing at this game? It's simple." Elio thought aloud. Azula glanced sideways at him and gestured forward.

"Just watch. Just by having you think that, he's deceiving you too...

"See? He starts off easy, letting his opponent win the first time. Then he brings in a bet to make the game interesting. He gets them invested. It's a bait technique. At some point, he flicks the stone into his sleeve, guaranteeing a loss. Now he has twice the money he lost in the first bet."

As Azula described these things, he watched it unfold in front of him. Keeping his eyes focused and looking through the lens of Azula's observations, he could see it easily. He realized that he was getting a taste of her point of view.

"How'd you even see that? It's so subtle." Elio asked, looking at her. She smirked a bit, looking back at him.

"You could say that I have a talent for observation. I also recognize potential when I see it. One doesn't get to be where I am without learning how get a lay of the land.

"It's a shame, really. Men like him have a decent amount of potential, but they waste it on frivolous things like making quick money. If they had any ambition, they could probably make themselves into useful assets instead of just common swindlers.

"That's the difference between people like them and people like us." Azula said, looking at him again.

"People like us?" Elio repeated.

"Mhmm. People like us. You and I are the type of people that feel most fulfilled when we're serving a purpose; we're the type of people who are always taking steps forward, never backwards or staying still." She surmised.

"Ah," Elio swallowed, afraid to admit just how right she was. "Am I really so easy to read?" He asked with a faint chuckle.

"Don't let it get you down," She chuckled. "Just because I can sense things about you doesn't make you boring. Now, what did you find?" She asked, turning her shoulders to face him. Elio became nervous with her advancing closer, but he stayed where he was.

"There's a few different storerooms in different shops and restaurants around the city. For the right price, the gang we're looking for could be using them to hide out. It'd give 'em time to map out the city and plan their next move."

"Interesting," She hummed. "Well then, I propose we do the same."

Elio and Azula retreated into another private area. Rolling out a purchased map of the city, Elio pointed out and marked all of the hiding locations he had been given. Azula took the lead and sent her men out to check each location. She took Elio with her, and they checked one location on their own.

Elio busted through the door of the flower shop first with his staff in hand. The shop was empty save the owner: an older woman who seemed to be minding her business. He nodded to Azula, and she entered in behind him. She removed her hood.

"I demand to see your back room this instant." She stated. The older shopkeeper quickly recognized her. Her eyes widened in shock and she fell to her knees.

"Princess Azula!" She exclaimed.

"Where is it?" She barked.

"The end of the hall, the-the door to the right." She answered shakily. Azula marched there first. Elio fell in step behind her.

Azula kicked the door open and stepped inside. The back room was completely empty and cleared out of anything. There was only a table in the room, which had been pushed against a wall. Azula's eyes narrowed as she scanned the room.

"They were here. We missed them," She surmised, turning and walking back towards the front. Elio looked inside curiously, but he wasn't able to see how she came to that conclusion.

"Where are the men from the Earth Kingdom who were here?" She questioned the shopkeeper, standing over her.

"P-Please, forgive me, princess. They threatened me and my husband. They beat him up and said they would kill us if we tried to get help." She whimpered. Elio's eyebrows furrowed; he was disturbed by this. Azula, however, showed no outward reaction.

"Tell me where they went, and I will consider letting it slide." She decided, curling her fingers inwards. The woman swallowed nervously.

"They said they were going to a warehouse across the city. I-I think they were referring to the one at the edge of the city. They store supplies and building materials there." She stuttered through her answer. Azula looked at Elio.

"We haven't a moment to lose," She said to him before turning back to the woman. "And as for you… You're pardoned for your error." She decided before stepping out of the shop. The woman sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry. I hope you and your husband are okay." Elio said quietly to her before joining Azula outside. She cracked her neck.

"Warehouse at the edge of the city. Remember where that was on the map?" She asked.

"I believe so. Shouldn't we get your men?" Elio asked.

"You heard the woman. They went to a warehouse with supplies and building materials. By the time my guards arrive, the place will be destroyed. I hope you're capable with that staff of yours. We're going it alone." She decided.

"Very well, we'll need to hurry." Elio said.

"Agreed. Hold on to this for me, Elio. I don't want anyone getting in the way because they recognize me." Azula said before removing her Fire Nation royal headpiece. Her hair fell freely, and she tied it back into a simple ponytail. Elio took the headpiece and placed it into his pack.

"After you, princess." Elio said before they began the sprint across the city to the warehouse.

Elio and Azula threw open the doors of the warehouse. Elio held his staff in his right hand while Azula carried no weapons. They entered in to find a group of men in the process of trashing the inside of warehouse, overturning containers and crushing materials with earthbending.

"Great, earthbenders." Elio grumbled, taking hold of his staff with both hands.

"I've wasted enough time chasing after you, so let's make this brief. Are you going to surrender quietly, or will we have to take you by force?" Azula presented their options. Elio looked around. There were easily more than a dozen men within the warehouse.

"Azula…" Elio said quietly to her. She glanced at him with a confident smirk. Strangely, he found himself being put at ease by this; she seemed to believe that the two of them could take these men.

"Grab those kids before they alert the soldiers!" One of the men shouted, pointing at the two of them. Azula smirked again.

"By force then."

Azula made the first move, lunging forward and extending two sets of two fingers outwards. Two streams of blue fire shot forward and became a sizeable blast, blowing one man back forcefully. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.

His eyes caught sight of one of the earthbenders pulling a rock out of the ground and launching it straight at the princess. He took the staff and stepped in front of her, breaking the rock with a swing of the staff.

"Get them!" Several of the men began to rush towards them, hoping to use their strength in numbers to overtake them. They began to circle around Azula and Elio.

Azula stepped around Elio, standing back to back with him as she swiped her hand across her body, sending a curved blast of fire at them. At the same time, Elio began to spin his staff quickly, using his firebending to generate a protective wall of fire for himself.

"So you're a firebender, Elio? You're just full of surprises." She chuckled.

"Duck, princess." Elio quickly said.

Azula dropped down to one knee with her head down. Elio ducked down, spinning his staff quickly above his head. His firebending, propelled by the staff, sent out waves of curves fired blasts all around them, hitting some men and keeping the others at a safe distance.

At the same time, Elio and Azula both advanced with their own attacks. Elio continued swinging his staff in long sweeping strikes. Meanwhile, Azula advanced with straightforward fire kicks and punches, taking the men closest to her out with one strike each.

Elio realized that the men he was targeting were evading his staff attacks. He slid it back into its strap and relied on his regular firebending. The men were continuing to back away, but with his curved fire blasts, he was able to take down two more of them.

"Elio!" Azula shouted. He started to turn back towards her, but his eyes caught sight of some rocks being thrown at him.

With a yelp, Elio jumped back and just barely dodged them. He started throwing defensive fire blasts back at one of the earthbenders while Azula did the same towards a second earthbender. They both looked and saw that both of the earthbenders were in opposite corners.

Coming to each other's defense, they stepped towards each other and both threw fireballs at the earthbenders on the opposite sides of them. Azula's arm crossed over Elio's as they threw their punches. They glanced at each other for a moment before Elio slid behind Azula.

As both earthbenders put up walls to protect themselves from the fireballs, Azula continued to pelt their defenses with intense fire. Meanwhile, Elio turned around and protected her from some of the non-bending men who were trying to get back into the fight.

"I have them cornered! Keep it up, Elio!" Azula shouted back to him. Elio threw a few quick kicks to knock down one man who was getting to close. He threw several fireballs into the remaining men.

Elio's eyes caught sight of a third earthbender. He must've been hiding somewhere, waiting for an opportunity to attack. He was sending a huge bolder right towards Azula. He only had a few seconds to react as he pulled his staff back out.

"Look out!" He shouted, swinging his staff into it. His swing knocked the boulder out of the way, but his hands weren't placed correctly on the staff. This caused him to lose his grip on the staff. It was knocked away, and he yelped in pain from the shock in his hands.

Azula took her attention off of the two earthbenders hiding behind their walls. She turned and sent a powerful blast into the third earthbender. The earthbender started to create a wall, but Azula's blast overtook him and sent him back into the wall.

Elio grabbed onto Azula, using his firebending to propel them into a jump. The other two earthbenders fired rocks at them, but by Elio's evasive actions, he was able to get them onto a catwalk on the second level of the warehouse. With a forward flip, they both landed on their feet.

"You knew that was coming, did you?" Azula asked.

"Typical earthbender strategy." Elio answered. A boulder broke through the floor by them, causing them both to stumble to the side.

"We need to hurry and finish this before they bring the building down on top of us!"

"I need my staff. It's over there. You go for this one! I'll go for that one." Elio quickly determined, choosing to go up against the earthbender that was furthest away from them but closer to his staff.

"Don't hesitate!" Azula shouted as Elio jumped off the catwalk, launching himself across the room. He dove into a slide, avoiding earthbending attacks as he slid to his staff. He grabbed onto it and rolled up to his feet.

Azula jumped off the catwalk as well, twisting her body to avoid getting hit. Her target used earthbending to create a shield above him as she came crashing down on top of him, using a firebending kick to break through the rock with sheer force.

Elio, meanwhile, blocked earthbending attacks with his staff and used his left hand for firebending, exchanging attacks with his opponent. As he advanced closer, he could see the earthbender getting ready to shift the ground below his feet and trap him.

Elio jumped into the air again. Instead of landing on his opponent, he flipped over his opponent. He slid his staff back into its slip and used all of his power to fire blasts into his opponent's defenses. He growled aggressively as he began to break through the rock wall.

Azula smirked, knowing she had the upper hand now that she was close to her opponent. Before he could make another move, Azula threw a fireball into her opponent. As he stumbled back, she rushed forward. She jumped and dropkicked the earthbender, using her firebending to add more impact and damage to the kick. The earthbender was sent into the wall as Azula slid back.

As Azula slid on her back and rolled to her feet again, her hair fell out of its ponytail and fell freely. She looked up and saw Elio fighting with full force against his opponent, not letting himself be hit by a single attack. Every punch and piece of earth thrown his way, he had a counterattack for it.

Azula took in a breath and began to swirl her hands in a circle, creating lightning from her fingertips. Elio, hearing the crackles, looked back and saw what she was doing. His eyes widened.

He threw a quick roundhouse kick into the earthbender's head. He then jumped into the air, flipping backwards into the air in time to avoid Azula's lightning attack. Azula shot lightning into the earthbender, hitting him directly. He was sent flying back through the wall. The sounds of the strike echoed throughout the warehouse.

Elio awkwardly landed on his side in front of Azula. He grunted in pain and slowly got to his feet, catching his breath. Azula stood up calmly, catching her breath as well. Elio rubbed the arm he had landed on and looked at her.

"A little warning would have been nice." He commented.

"I knew that you would see it." She chuckled.

Azula gathered her soldiers and all of the Earth Kingdom men were rounded up and incarcerated. Elio watched this and felt no remorse for them. He was just in shock that he had actually had the chance to work side by side with the princess.

"So I guess that's it then, huh?" Elio asked. Azula nodded.

"Yes. Your help made a big difference in this mission, Elio. You did well." She commended him with an approving smile.

"Thank you. Oh, here, let me return this to you before you go." Elio remembered that he still had Azula's royal headpiece in his pack. He pulled it out and held it to her. She smiled and shook her head, resting her hands on her hips.

"I'll let you keep it. Consider it a token of my appreciation." She decided. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.

"Are you sure, princess? I-I'm not sure I can accept it."

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can. I have plenty in my possession. What's one less?" She chuckled, "I assume that you will be on your way back to your ship now?"

"Yes. I should hurry. Thank you again, princess." He said appreciatively. He bowed respectfully to her before rushing off. Azula hummed and smiled as she watched him go.

Elio reported back to the Yellow Horizon. A majority of the day had gone by, so he had to endure a scolding from Captain Po about being missing all day. He wasn't given an opportunity to explain what happened, but even if he gotten the story out, he wouldn't have expected to be believed, so he remained silent.

He spent the rest of his time preparing the ship to embark again. But as sunset began to fall and the ship was making its final preparations to set sail, Elio looked out onto the dock and saw a familiar figure in a long hood standing there waving at him.

"No way…" Elio said with widened eyes. He came down onto the dock and hurried over. Sure enough, it was her again. "Princess Azula. What are you doing here?" He asked in disbelief.

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked with a sideways smile. Elio chuckled nervously.

"Uh, you came to get your hair thing back?" He asked humorously. Azula snickered.

"No, that's not it. I haven't gone back and gotten another one yet." She said, pointing out that her hair was still falling freely.

"Oh," Elio chuckled again, nervously rubbing his hands together. "Well, I think you look prettier with your hair down." He complimented sincerely.

"Thank you, Elio," She smiled, blushing slightly. "To answer your question, I came here for you. I want you to come with me." She said.

"What?" Elio's eyes widened again. He was completely blown away by this. "For what?"

"If today has proven anything, it's that the two of us make an exceptional team. We could be in an elite class all in our own with some refinement." She explained her thinking.

"I-I see."

"Let's face it, Elio, you don't strike me as the sailor type. And despite your firebending skill, you don't seem like the soldier type either. You could be so much more. Just come back with me." She urged. Elio swallowed nervously.

He thought back to their conversation about potential. Evidently, the princess was seeing something in him that she felt was worth keeping around. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but he knew how treacherous that path would be, all things considered.

"I… Forgive me, princess, but I have to decline." Elio answered respectfully. Azula's smile quickly faded into an upset scowl.

"You're turning me down?"

"I'm afraid I am." He said regretfully.

"Wh…Why?! What's on this ship that's so important to you?! Do you not see how powerful we could be together? You have no idea what you're refusing!" She shouted at him. Elio's eyebrows furrowed. He was finding it difficult to say no to her.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, princess."

"It is a disappointment, Elio. I feel sorry for you." She shook her head and turned her back to him, beginning to walk away. Elio swallowed and called out to her again.

"Azula!"

"What?" She stopped, not turning back towards him. Even though she didn't turn to face him again, Elio still bowed respectfully.

"It was an honor to meet you, princess." He said before turning and making his way back to the ship.

As he made his way back up onto the ship, Azula turned back enough to glance over her shoulder at him. He turned back towards her as well. They made eye contact for a few moments, neither of them moving. Then Elio looked down and boarded the ship.

Azula sighed in frustration, shaking her head again. Her eyes trailed up to the flag that the ship was flying. Her eyes didn't recognize the insignia of the Yellow Horizon. She looked at it suspiciously before turning and walking away…


	14. Familiar

Back in the Earth Kingdom; it's not where Elio wanted to be, but he'd have to manage. After being caught by surprise in the previous stop, Captain Po made sure that he was aware that their next stop would be a Fire Nation colony within the Earth Kingdom.

Elio wasn't too keen about stepping back into Fire Nation territory, but after what had happened with Princess Azula, he felt strangely less worried about being in those areas. After all, he was still able to pass through as long as he kept his head down.

Elio reached into his bag and pulled out the headpiece that Azula had gifted him. He held it up with two fingers and turned it to look at it closely from different angles. It was beautiful and well-crafted. His family only had a few belongings that matched the quality of this small object.

All things considered, he found it remarkable that he had something from the princess in his possession. It would no doubt be a reminder to him that he'd gotten the chance to meet her, and for a brief time he had somehow won over her favor.

He couldn't help but think that if things surrounding their meeting had been different, he'd probably be with her right now. He could only imagine where a partnership like that would have led…

"All hands on deck! Prepare for battle!" Captain Po shouted from above deck. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.

All the crew members below deck similarly perked their heads up, scrambling to get up and grab their weapons. Elio shoved the headpiece back into his pack and grabbed his staff, running up the stairs. They rushed out to see what was going on.

"Pirates!" Captain Po yelled to them, pointing forward. The crew turned their heads and saw another ship sailing towards them. It flew no flag, and the men on the ship were rowdily shouting with their weapons in hand.

"Pirates. I hate pirates," Wo groaned. "Hope your master taught you some moves with that staff, kid. Your life's about to depend on it." He warned Elio. Elio swallowed nervously and gripped his staff tighter as the two ships sailed closer.

As the ships drifted side by side, the pirates were the first to begin boarding by setting down planks to walk across between the two ships. Elio was ready to rush forward and knock the planks into the water, but he noticed some of them were swinging across ropes and landing on the deck of the Yellow Horizon.

Elio rushed towards the closest target: a bigger man with a sword. Elio swung his staff towards his head. The man ducked under it and lunged forward with his sword. Elio spun to the side and tripped the man with a sweeping kick, then jabbed him in the back of the head with the staff.

At the sound of a battle cry, Elio turned around just in time to block another attacker with a sword. He held his staff up to block the blade being swung at him. He took several cautious steps back and blocked each attack being swung his way.

The bigger man got up and tried to tackle Elio. Elio used his staff to vault over him, jumping off the man's back and swinging his staff downwards to attack the second man. However, he jumped back to avoid the attack. Now Elio was stuck between two pirates with swords.

" _I hate not being able to use my firebending."_ He thought to himself.

Elio swung his staff towards the bigger man first, making him jump back. He slid his hands to the other side of the staff, lunging towards the other man and making him stumble. Elio then advanced towards him and swept his legs out with the staff.

The bigger man rushed towards Elio with the sword raised over his head. Elio twisted his foot and threw a kick into the man's stomach, holding the staff up to block the sword. He planted his feet again and turned his body, smacking the man in the side of the head with his staff and knocking him down again.

"We need to shoot the ship down and make some distance!" Captain Po shouted to the crew. Elio looked towards the pirate ship, eyeing the planks that some of them had used to cross onto the Yellow Horizon.

"Elio, no!" Wo shouted, watching as Elio rushed and jumped onto the side of the ship, running across the plank and boarding the pirate ship.

Elio's eyes scanned for a way below deck. He noticed a man rushing up above deck from some steps on the other side of the ship. That was his way in. He would just need to get past this one pirate with two curved swords.

Elio rushed forward to meet him, swinging his staff. The man slid on his knees under the staff. Elio felt his leg get cut by one of the swords. Elio hissed in pain and turned around to face the man. He smirked back at Elio, quickly spinning and attacking with both swords.

Elio stepped back to block the attacks, but he was quickly beginning to realize that he was outmatched in this fight. He would need to find a crafty way around these attacks…

Elio spun his staff around quickly, deflecting the attacks and creating a spinning momentum of his own. Sparks flew off his staff as they clashed with the swords. Elio quickly turned and stopped the staff then reversed the direction it was spinning, knocking one of the swords out of his opponent's hand.

While he was stunned, Elio advanced with the staff again, putting the man on the defensive. However, as he was gaining the upper hand, he looked to the side and could see that the pirates were starting to get an upper hand on his crewmates.

Elio cut the fight short and ran the other direction, hurrying down the steps and into the pirate ship. As soon as he was below deck, he started firebending, throwing flames in all directions to set anything he could on fire.

He turned back around as the man came down to continue the fight with both swords in his hands again. His eyes widened in shock as he saw fire beginning to spread within the ship. Elio heard the popping of gunpowder behind him.

"What's wrong? Something out of place?" Elio quipped, smirking and spinning his staff in one hand. The man growled in anger and rushed forward to attack.

Elio stepped to the side and swung his staff sideways, bending the fire that was already spreading into a wave. It pummeled the man from the side, setting his clothes on fire. Elio rushed back above deck as the man's new main concern was putting the fire out.

"Fire! Fire!" Some of the pirates began to yell as they realized their ship was quickly going down in flames. Gunpowder in the ship ignited and set off explosions, making the fire spread faster and punching holes in the ship.

"Elio, get back now!" Wo shouted to him. Elio rushed back across the plank, jumping back on board. He turned just in time to see Wo get cut across the stomach by the pirate he was fighting.

"Wo!" Elio shouted in shock, rushing to his defense. As Wo fell to the ground, Elio quickly took a protective stance over him, knocking his opponent to the side and kicking him off the side of the ship into the water below.

"Are you alright?!" Elio asked, turning and kneeling by his side. Elio could see that Wo was bleeding, but Wo didn't seem to be panicking too much.

"I'm okay. He didn't cut too deep. How'd you do that, kid? How'd you get the fire started?" He asked. Elio looked back at the burning ship and the pirates all scrambling to save their ship.

"Gunpowder below deck. I just ignited it."

"Smart thinking." Wo nodded approvingly.

"Let's get this ship out of here before they try to board again!" Captain Po shouted. Quickly, the crew knocked the walking planks off the Yellow Horizon and unfurled the sails, leaving the burning pirate ship in their wake…

It was a relief to know that Wo would be okay. He didn't seem to be worried about it. The scare affected Elio more than it did him. Wo, as well as the rest of the crew, was just impressed with Elio and how he had single-handedly turned the tide of the fight.

As reward for a job well done, Captain Po allowed Elio to relax and take it easy for the rest of the journey to the Fire Nation colony town. Elio was happy to accept this reward; however he made it clear that he would be putting his share of work in when they arrived.

The Fire Nation had done a better job of training him for battle than he realized.

The Yellow Horizon made port in the Earth Kingdom once again. Though they were back in the land he wanted to get away from, when Elio stepped above deck he was greeted with a sight that looked more like Fire Foundation City to him.

It was something that looked more like home.

"Elio. I've given Wo an easier assignment since he took a bad hit during the battle. I'm assigning you to take care of his deliveries as well as your own. Try not to be gone all day this time." Captain Po said to him.

"I'll let you know if something comes up, Captain." Elio promised.

Elio went down and grabbed the cargo he needed to transport, dragging it behind him on a cart into this Fire Nation colony. He looked around at the people; they were either Earth Kingdom citizens or Fire Nation soldiers.

Normally, Elio would see this as a reason to be cautious, but he felt strangely relaxed here. He wasn't worried about the Fire Nation soldiers, and with them around, he had no reason to worry about the citizens either.

Maybe that was just him allowing his heritage and his bad experiences to rub off on him.

Elio reached a soldier's tent and pulled the cart up next to him. He politely opened up the front of the tent to let the person in charge know that he was there.

"Excuse me," Elio politely got the intention of the soldiers in the tent. "I have some cargo here for you. I have instructions to report to the man in charge." Elio spoke up. The men all turned their heads. One of them stood up and walked outside of the tent.

"What do you have?" He asked in a low, raspy voice.

"Uh, some food and supplies, sir. Where would you like me to drop everything off?" He asked.

"Drop the charade, kid. I know exactly who you are!" The man barked at him. Elio took a defensive step back, sliding his hand behind him to grab his staff.

"Do you?"

"Yes…" The man said, removing his helmet. He grinned happily. "It's good to see you, Elio!" He said. Elio's eyes lit up in amazement. He smiled, shook his head, and greeted the soldier with a hug.

"Cassian! I can't believe it! What are you doing here, man?!" Elio asked, leaning back and taking hold of his friend's arm.

"What am _I_ doing here? What the hell are you doing here, dude?!" He laughed. "You're running deliveries now? What's that about?" He asked. Elio chuckled.

"So much has happened, dude. I'm a crew member of this ship called the Yellow Horizon. This is how we operate." Elio explained simply, gesturing to the cargo.

"Wow. So you finally ended up talking with your dad, huh? That's good!" Cassian said proudly. Elio swallowed nervously and nodded his head.

"Uhuh, yeah, thanks. Man, it's so good to see you. I was not expecting to run into any familiar faces today." He said with a laugh.

"I wasn't expecting to see your face! Not until I got back home," Cassian laughed. "But you know what? We need to catch up since you're here. How long are you gonna be in town?" He asked.

"I'm gonna be here tonight. I leave in the morning." He answered.

"Alright! Let's meet up tonight then. I'll buy you a drink. How's that sound?" Cassian offered. Elio nodded and smiled.

"I could really use a drink, dude, you have no idea," Elio said with an exasperated laugh. "I'll meet you here after I'm done with my tasks."

"See you soon! Oh, and put the cargo over there!" Cassian waved as Elio went.

"Got it! Thanks!" He waved back and went on his way. He had a smile from ear to ear at seeing his old friend again…

Elio returned to the Yellow Horizon and worked quickly to accomplish his remaining tasks for the day. As the afternoon began to transition into the evening, Elio grabbed his things and made his way up to the wheel where Captain Po was.

"Captain, sir." Elio spoke up to get his attention.

"Elio, are your tasks all finished?" The captain asked.

"Yes, sir." He nodded.

"Good… Is there something else that you need to tell me?" He asked, noticing how Elio was lingering there. Elio swallowed.

"Sir, I appreciate the opportunity that you have given me to be a member of your crew. It's been an unforgettable experience…but I will not be setting sail with you again."

"Ah, that big ol' eel monster spooked you, didn't it?" He asked.

"Yes," Elio answered with a breathy chuckle. "But it's been a combination of things, sir. This just isn't the life for me."

"That's fair, kid. Well, I wish you had told me before it was time to set sail, but since you got your tasks done we should be able to manage. I'll put the word out that we need men at our next stop."

"Very well. I'm sorry to spring this on you so last minute."

"It's alright, Elio. Hope things work out for ya." The captain said, respectfully shaking hands with him. Elio nodded appreciatively and turned away, walking down to exit the ship.

"You're leaving us, ain't ya, kid?" Wo asked him. Elio turned to see Wo standing by the edge of the ship. Elio nodded.

"Yeah. How can you tell?"

"You got your pack on you," Wo pointed out. "Sucks to see you leaving us, but I get it. It was a rougher ride than usual while you were here."

"It's been a good ride too. The life of a sailor just isn't for me." Elio said regretfully.

"It ain't for everyone," Wo agreed. "You know where you're headed now?"

"Nope. But I'll figure it out." Elio said with a small chuckle. Wo laughed a bit and watched him exit the ship.

"That's all any of us can do, kid!" Wo called down to him, waving at him as he walked away. Elio waved back and fixed his pack.

The life of a sailor was hard work, but that wasn't the reason why he was leaving. It wasn't even really about the Unagi; he was going to face deadly perils wherever he went. His main reason for leaving was because of his run-in with the Fire Nation.

Perhaps that was ironic to say, considering he was on his way to see his old friend from home. However, Cassian was an exception. If any other Fire Nation soldier were to recognize him or connect him to his father, his freedom would be at risk…

"There he is! Come on, bud, I know exactly where to go for a good drink around here." Cassian said when he saw him. He patted him on the back and led the way.

"Good. You're still buying, right? You said you'd buy." Elio reminded him humorously. Cassian laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, man, I'm buying. You look like you couldn't afford your own drink anyways," He teased, tugging at Elio's shirt. "Working on that trade ship has run you ragged."

"You have no idea! Man, I have some stories to tell you." Elio said with a laugh.

The two of them entered into a small little restaurant and took their seats. The plan was to just get drinks, but they ended up ordering full meals to eat. Elio set his things down next to him, but his staff nearly fell and hit him in the forehead. He caught it and set it down on the floor by his foot.

"Haha! What is that thing? What're you carrying around a rod for?" Cassian asked humorously.

"It's not a rod, you idiot, it's a staff. I had some formal training with a master. He gave me this staff as a gift after my lessons." Elio explained. Cassian's eyes widened a bit.

"Wow. That's interesting. I didn't know there were any staff masters back home."

"Oh, it wasn't in the Fire Nation. It was just during my travels through the Earth Kingdom." Elio explained. Cassian nodded, intrigued by this.

"Sounds like you've been busy! So what happened between you and your dad in the end? What made you end up out here?" Cassian asked curiously. Elio swallowed nervously.

"Um… I… We had a falling out. I took on other work. I'm on my own now." He answered. Cassian's eyebrows furrowed.

"Jeez, Elio… I'm sorry. I guess it was always possible that would happen. Are you doing okay?"

"I'm getting by. Looking for work again. I had to leave my post on the trade ship today. One too many brushes with death for my taste." He mentioned.

"What kind of brushes with death?" Cassian asked curiously.

"Earthbenders, pirates, this giant eel monster called an Unagi." He quickly listed.

"Woah! That's crazy!" He exclaimed, "You've been adventuring, brother!"

"Yeah!" Elio laughed, "Oh, and hey, you'll never guess who I got to meet while I was sailing." He brought up with a faint smirk. This immediately drew in Cassian further.

"Who?"

"Princess Azula." He answered. Cassian laughed again.

"You did not! You're lying!" He exclaimed.

"I'm not. Hold on, I'll prove it," Elio said, reaching into his pack. He shuffled some things around and slid the pack over to Cassian. "Don't reach in. Just take a look inside." He instructed. Cassian looked inside and saw Azula's royal headpiece sitting in his pack.

"I-Is that hers?" He asked. Elio nodded with a smile.

"I helped her out while we were talking. She gave it to me as a token." He explained as he took his pack back. Cassian shook his head, both astonished and impressed.

"That is wild! So, spill it, what's she like really? Did you fall head over heels for her? Did she fall head over heels for you? Whose heels went over their head?" Cassian asked excitedly. Elio snickered.

"It didn't quite go down like that, but she was pretty interesting. She's very…focused. Very tactical. And she has a killer knack for reading people." He described.

"Man, you're so lucky. You wouldn't mind getting me an introduction some day?" He requested humorously. Elio smiled and shook his head.

"Maybe. I don't know, it might be difficult to slide you in, but maybe I can pull some strings." He joked.

"Shut up, you dork." Cassian and Elio laughed. Their food was served and they began to eat. Elio took this brief pause in their conversation as an opportunity to take the focus off of him.

"So, how has your time in the army been treating you? It has to be rough for you being assigned out here." Elio asked and observed. Cassian nodded, sitting up in his chair a bit.

"I'll shoot it to you straight, Elio. It's hard. I've been training every day since I've joined. We're required to always have our skills honed to the max. Which isn't so bad, but… I don't know, I obviously joined the army to fight in the war, but I didn't expect to get thrust right into it so quickly."

"Mhmm." Elio hummed and nodded in understanding, listening closely.

"Getting deployed here into the Earth Kingdom has definitely been the hardest part; having to leave my family behind. And these earthbenders are ruthless, man. I'm sad to say I've already watched a couple comrades die. They weren't close to me or anything, but it's been ugly." Cassian lamented.

"Yeah," Elio nodded. "I know what you mean with the earthbenders. They almost got me a couple times. It was bad, but it sounds like you've seen worse. I'm really sorry, Cassian. How are you holding up?" He asked.

"I'm good, man, thanks. You gotta do what you gotta do. Seeing how ugly the Earth Kingdom gets, I'm even more convinced that I'm on the right side. The world needs order, man, and if I can play a part in that, I'll keep fighting." Cassian determined.

Elio nodded silently, looking down at his food. He'd always known that Cassian felt very strongly about the doctrines of the Fire Nation, but to see him be willing to die for a cause that he didn't agree with tore at him.

"The world does need order. I agree with that." He nodded.

"Yeah. But enough with the downer stuff. Look at us, man! Two men taking on the world, forging our own paths. You're dating the princess now." He added at the end for comedic effect.

"I most certainly am not, but yes to the other two things… There actually was this one girl." He started to bring up.

"Uh oh. I know what that look means. What was her name?" Cassian asked with a chuckle.

"Haha, her name was Ty Lee. She was a circus acrobat. She actually convinced me to join her in the circus for awhile."

"Haha, oh man, you must've really fallen for her to do that!" Cassian laughed hard. Elio blushed in embarrassment and shook his head.

"Yeah. Well, you know I really wanted to perform with firebending. She gave me the chance to do that. And it was great. It was really great." Elio said with a sigh.

"You're one of the most technically proficient firebenders I've ever met, Elio. If anyone could do something like that, it's you… What happened?" Cassian asked, noticing the hints of sadness in Elio's expression.

"Earthbenders, man, what else? They didn't want a firebender in town. I told them that I came in peace, but it didn't matter. They attacked us as we were leaving town. I fought them off. Ty Lee took a hit… That's when I knew I'd have to leave so they'd be safe." Elio recounted.

"Oh, Elio…" Cassian's eyebrows furrowed in deep concern. "That sucks. The Earth Kingdom! Urgh!" He growled angrily, "These people are so vicious, Elio. I swear it's like they only know how to fight. There's no use trying to talk sense into them." He leaned on the table, gesturing passionately.

"Yeah… I don't know, Cassian. It's savage, yes, and frustrating, but from what I've seen on my travels, they're people too, you know? They're proud and very stubborn, yeah, but they just don't want the Fire Nation in their home." Elio tried to make a case for them.

"Yeah okay I get that but at the same time if what we're offering them is better than what they have now, who are we to deny them the chance to be better? That's what began this war, and that's what's gonna end this war." Cassian pointed out.

"I suppose you're right about that," Elio said, finishing his food. "I can't tell you how good it's been to see you again, man. I've been traveling around for so long; I really needed to see a familiar face."

"I was about to say the same thing," Cassian smiled, finishing his food as well. "Where are you staying?" He asked.

"I'm not. I'm afraid I have to keep moving tonight."

"I see. Well, be safe on your journey. Where are you going next?" He asked Elio curiously as the two of them exited the restaurant. Elio shrugged.

"I'm not sure now. I just have to figure out my next step, I guess."

"Elio… I know it isn't what you wanted, but I could use you in my division. Just say the word. I'll pull the strings." He insisted. Elio shook his head.

"I can't. I'm sorry."

"Why not, Elio?" Cassian raised his voice, "Why is it so hard for you to stand with me? To do something about ending this war?!" He questioned, gesturing back towards where the army was camped out. Elio winced and sighed.

"I've thought about it…but my time here in the Earth Kingdom has only given me more reason to not want to fight, Cassian. Moral implications aside, I just don't have the stomach for this war." Elio expressed. Cassian sighed.

"…I don't blame you, Elio. I'm sorry, man, I shouldn't be yelling. I just, ugh, this means a lot to me, but you know that. I want this war to be over just as bad as the next man. But I want the world to be in a better state coming out of it than when it went into war 100 years ago."

"Me too," Elio agreed, turning towards Cassian. "I'm gonna miss you, man."

"We'll see each other again, bud." Cassian said, embracing Elio. Elio hugged him back tightly and sighed sadly.

"Be safe, brother." Elio said to him as they let each other go.

"You do the same. And hey, say hi to the princess for me." Cassian teased him one more time, linking arms with him one more time before letting him go. He watched as Elio turned and began to walk away with his staff in hand. Cassian turned and walked back to his quarters in the camp.

"Is everyone settled in for the night?" Cassian asked the soldier guarding his tent.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. You're relieved. Get some rest."

"Thank you, sir. You also have a letter waiting in your tent, sir, from General Sol." The soldier informed him.

"What? Uh, thank you, I'll look at it right now." Cassian stuttered before entering into his tent. Why would Elio's father send a letter directly to him?

Cassian saw the rolled up letter sitting on his table. He recognized by the seal and ribbon that it was the real deal. He swallowed nervously as he opened it up and held it up to read. His eyes scanned through the message…

"Oh, Elio… What have you done?"


	15. Cindra

Elio decided it would be best to avoid anymore Fire Nation colonies, camps, or settlements. Unfortunately for him, if he was to make it to the next town, he would have to find his way around an army camp. However, there was one solution.

Elio had heard talk of an older man, an earthbender, who served as a guide. He would take refugees through a cave system that ran underneath and to the side of the camp, thus avoiding any chance of being discovered by the army.

He determined that this would be his best chance to get where he needed to go. He couldn't risk being recognized again. So there he stood in a distant canyon, paying this older man to grant him passage through the cave.

"What's a young man like you doing traveling by yourself through such harsh country?" The man asked curiously. Elio shrugged.

"Just staying on the move. Thank you." Elio said, tapping on the counter and stepping out of this man's small wooden cabin.

Elio's eyes scanned the refugees all standing around in their small respective groups. There were easily about 20 or more of them all looking for safe passage. Elio leaned a little bit against his staff. Then his eyes caught sight of someone to his left; someone else who appeared to also be alone.

She wore a long blue piece without sleeves and beige pants with walking boots. She had darker skin and long, swirly hair that fell past her shoulders. She immediately reminded him of Katara. Curious, Elio decided to approach her.

"Hello there," He greeted her with a polite smile. "What's your name?" He asked.

"Oh, hello. I'm Cindra," She smiled back. "And who are you?"

"My name is Elio. It's a pleasure to meet you, Cindra," He said, shaking hands with her. "Did our guide by chance also ask you what you're doing traveling out here alone?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Yep," She nodded and giggled. "I get the concern, but I politely told him to mind his own business."

"Haha, well you're more assertive than me. I just said I need to keep moving…and then I kept moving." He said humorously.

"Good way to do it. What is it about old people being so comfortable asking personal questions and getting in people's business?" She asked with a chuckle.

"I don't know. Older age lessens inhibitions, I guess. So, where are you heading off to on the other side of this cavern?" He asked curiously. Cindra brushed her hair back.

"Um… Where everyone else is going, of course: Ba Sing Se. What about you?" She asked.

"Don't know. Inland, I guess. Ba Sing Se; that's the Earth Kingdom stronghold, isn't it?"

"Yep, seems to be the symbol of hope for the Earth Kingdom. Every refugee I've met all want to get inside the walls of that place."

"Alright, everyone! It's time to get moving," The guide declared loudly as he stepped out of his cabin. "Grab your belongings and the people traveling with you in your party! We will not turn back for anything left behind!" He stated before beginning to lead the trek.

"Looks like that's our cue," Cindra said, standing up from the wooden beam she'd been leaning against. "We better get going."

"Right…" Elio agreed. He glanced at her for a moment, "I'll walk with you if you'd like. Seeing that we're both traveling alone- Might be a good idea to pair up."

"I don't mind," She said with a shrug. "If we run into any trouble, you can just whack 'em with that pole of yours." She lightly teased him, tapping his staff as she stepped around to follow the guide.

"Why does everyone assume that it's a pole?" Elio said to himself before turning and falling in step next to her.

Elio and Cindra fell in step behind their guide. The group kept in step behind the guide, murmuring to themselves. Elio looked around curiously. Cindra walked next to him with her arms protectively folded in front of her.

The refugee group reached an earthen hill. The guide stepped forward in an earthbending stance, opening up a well-concealed wall. Once it was removed, the cave was revealed behind it. Elio flinched a bit at the sudden display of earthbending, but his eyes widened in astonishment at seeing the cave.

"Wow. That's actually pretty clever." Elio nodded in approval.

"Alright, everyone! Light your torches!" The guide instructed. The refugees behind them all began lighting their torches. The guide lit two torches and passed one back to Elio and Cindra, "For you two. Hold tight to it now."

"Thank you." Cindra said, taking it. She and Elio glanced at each other. He nodded to her and they looked forward, taking in deep breaths and mustering up their courage as they stepped into the darkness of the cave.

"There really is no light in here at all, is there?" Elio inquired.

"That's right. Total concealment. It's the only way to guarantee the Fire Nation don't find out about this tunnel. Everyone stay close together now! Don't want no one getting lost." He advised. Elio stepped closer to Cindra, wanting to stay as close to the light and the heat of the flame as possible.

"Hello there," Cindra said, drawing attention to how close he was getting. "Need something?"

"Sorry," He stuttered. "You have the torch." He pointed out.

"Do you want to hold the torch?" She asked with a click of her tongue.

"Uh, y-yeah. I'll take it." He said, putting his staff away and taking the torch from her.

"Are you scared of the dark, Elio?"

"Not the dark so much. I'm more worried about what's in it." He answered.

"Everyone stop moving," The guide suddenly said.

Everyone froze. Their ears became attuned to the nasty sounds of hissing mixed with snarling above them. They looked up above them, but the cave was too dark for them to see where the noises were coming from.

"Cave crawlers… Everyone turn back now!" He shouted, turning and motioning the others to run. The other refugees reacted quickly. However, both Elio and Cindra hesitated to turn back.

"What the hell is that noise?!" Elio exclaimed. As if to answer his question, a large snake with 10 eyes dropped down in front of them with a loud rumble.

"Spider-eel!" The guide shouted, opening up the entrance for everyone to get out. Elio shrieked in fear and jumped back, but he saw Cindra hesitating.

"Cindra! What're you doing?!" He shouted. She looked back at him.

"I have to get to the other side of this cave!" She shouted, turning back towards the spider-eel. She waved the torch to keep it back and started making her way around it.

"Are you insane?!" Elio shouted, pulling his staff out. He ran over to her defense, jumping and rolling to avoid the creature's tail. He threw himself between her and the creature's face, smacking it in the side of its mouth with his staff to stun it.

"Elio, get out of here! I don't want you getting hurt trying to help me!"

"You'll die without my help!" Elio argued. The spider-eel hissed at them.

"Run!" Cindra shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling him to run away from it by going further into the cave. Elio had no choice now but to fight to keep them both alive.

They both turned and sprinted away from the spider-eel as fast as they could. They could hear it regaining its composure and slithering after them. Elio let go of Cindra's hand and grabbed onto the staff with both hands, turning around and swinging at it again.

The spider-eel retracted its head quickly to avoid his desperate swings. It then quickly swatted him to the ground with its mouth. It then opened its mouth and bit on Elio's right leg, pressing down with an almost bone-crushing force.

"Elio!" Cindra shouted.

"Ahh!" Elio yelped in pain, smacking it on the nose with his staff multiple times.

The spider-eel turned its head quickly and let go of Elio's leg, swinging him and throwing him into Cindra. His body crashed into hers, roughly knocking both of them to the ground. As the creature began to slither towards them, Elio tried to regain his footing.

"Elio, grab onto me!" Cindra shouted. Elio quickly put an arm around her.

Suddenly, Elio felt Cindra pull them both over the edge of a drop. The spider-eel narrowly missed its chance to eat them. Elio and Cindra grabbed hold of each other as they rolled down a steep slope, their backs smacking against the floor as they tumbled over each other again and again.

They both screamed as the floor suddenly disappeared and they fell downwards. Then they crashed against a flat rock floor. The torch bounced out of her hand and went out all at once. The slithering and snarling sounds of the spider-eel disappeared into the distance.

"It's gone…" Elio wheezed weakly, laying his head back. He was so dazed that he could barely feel anything at all. Cindra's hand pressed on his chest as she crawled towards him.

"Is that you?" She asked. Neither of them could see anything anymore.

"Yeah. That's me." He answered. Cindra whined in pain and laid on the ground by him.

"Why did you do that? Why did you help me?" She asked.

"You were gonna die trying to get away from that thing. Obviously. What were you thinking?" He questioned. He heard her stifle back the urge to groan in pain.

"I'm sorry… I couldn't risk the Fire Nation catching me. Everything I'm after is on the other side of this cave." She answered.

"What're you talking about?" Elio questioned. Cindra hesitated to answer him.

"I…can't tell you."

"Oh yeah, really?" He grunted sarcastically, "Well we're gonna need each other now if we're gonna have any chance of getting out of here, so you might wanna rethink that answer."

"Fine," Cindra grumbled and sighed. "The truth is… I'm trying to get to the Southern Water Tribe."

"The South Pole? Why?" He asked.

"B-Because I want to learn how to fight. I'm from the Northern Water Tribe. Up there, they refuse to teach women how to fight; only how to heal. But I want to be able to do more, so I figured that my sister tribe would give me a chance." She explained hopefully. Elio swallowed.

"I see…"

"What about you? I told you the truth, now it's your turn." She demanded.

"Whatever… I'm trying to avoid the Fire Nation. I don't know where I'm going. I just know I need to avoid the Fire Nation at all costs."

"Why? Are you wanted?" She asked.

"Probably."

"What did you do?"

"I ran away."

"You ran away… So you're _from_ the Fire Nation then?" She reasoned.

"…yes. I am." He answered slowly. She hesitated to answer him.

"I thought the Fire Nation was all bad. That's what everyone made it sound like."

"That's not entirely untrue. It's like 90 percent bad… Okay, don't freak out. I'm gonna try and give us some light." Elio warned before trying to sit up with a grunt. As he started to compose himself, the numb pain in his leg and across his body started to become more noticeable.

"I lost the torch." Cindra admitted.

"I have my own." Elio said, creating a small flame in his hand. As soon as there was light, Cindra immediately shuffled away from him with widened eyes.

"You're a firebender?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Shh! We don't want that thing finding us again." He insisted. Cindra swallowed nervously, her eyes dropping down a bit.

"Your leg… Are you bleeding?" She asked. Elio looked down at it, reaching with his other hand and feeling around his leg.

"Uhh," He hissed in pain. "No, I'm not, but it hurts. I think it's bruised."

"L-Let me take a look at it." Cindra offered, crawling closer.

Elio pulled his pant leg up as best as he could with his free hand. He held his flame closer to his leg to provide light. He watched as Cindra warily looked at the fire before turning her attention to his injured leg. She carefully turned his leg to the side a bit.

"You're lucky the fangs didn't get you, Elio. Otherwise your leg would be done right now." She commented.

"Lucky me."

"Try and hold still for me." Cindra said, reaching down and opening up a pouch hooked to her waist. She held her hand over it. Elio watched as she pulled water out of it, moving it through the air with her hands.

"You're a waterbender." Elio realized with widened eyes.

"Surprised? Now you understand why I couldn't risk having the Fire Nation finding me." She said, bending the water down to his leg. The water began to glow.

"Whoa… Yeah, makes sense now…" Elio said, pondering over this fact. He realized that Cindra's bending made her out to be even more of a target than he was.

"You said you ran away from the Fire Nation. Why?" She asked.

"My father's a high-ranking Fire Nation general, which means I basically had one option in life: join the army and fight in the war. But I didn't want to do that, so I ran away." He summarized. Cindra scoffed a bit.

"So you ran away because you didn't want to fight, and I ran away because I wanted to fight." She pointed out ironically. Elio chuckled a bit and sighed.

"And yet here we both are… My leg feels way better now, wow. What did you do?" He asked as he moved his leg around.

"The one useful thing my tribe actually taught me is how to use my waterbending for healing." She said in a bit of a grumble.

"That's incredible," Elio said in astonishment, slowly getting to his feet. "That's about as good as it's going to feel right now. We gotta find a way out of here." He said, grabbing his things. Cindra stood up too and brushed the dirt off her clothes.

"Right… Hold on, do you hear that?" She paused and motioned to be silent. They listened and could hear the sounds of rushing water.

"Sounds like water."

"Right. Hold on," Cindra motioned for him to walk with her towards the sound. Elio provided the light as they walked, and they came across a river running through the cave system. "A river! This could be our way out!"

"Really? Well… No you're right, either side of this river could lead us back out from under this cave." He thought aloud.

"Exactly. If we follow the river downstream, maybe it will lead us out the other side!" She reasoned.

"Let's hope so." Elio said with a nod. The two of them walked silently alongside the river heading downstream. However, they quickly ran into a problem when they walked into a rock wall.

"Dead end." Cindra sighed.

"Maybe not… The river sounds like it's still going. I think if we're gonna follow this river and see where it leads, we'll need to jump in."

"But what if we still run into a dead end?" Cindra asked.

"You're a waterbender, aren't you? Can't you just pull us back?" He asked. Cindra wrung her hands together.

"I'm…not a great waterbender. It's like I said before, I was only taught to heal. The little that I know about fighting is because I would sneak around sometimes. I'm not sure I could pull against the river." She explained.

"We have to try. Just do what you can." He urged her. She looked at him and nodded.

"Okay. Let's do it."

Elio let Cindra approach the river first. She slid her left foot forward and raised her hands up, pulling some of the water upwards. As she struggled against the current, she managed to create a bubble for the two of them to step into the river bank on flat ground.

"You're doing great, Cindra!" Elio encouraged her, sliding down into the river bank. She managed a smile as she jumped down with him. The water bubble shifted awkwardly when she landed, but she managed to regain control.

"Let's try and hurry, please. This is hard to hold." She insisted.

Elio created flames in his hands to provide light for them. They couldn't see anything past the walls of the water bubble, but at least they could watch their footing as they followed the river forward. Cindra kept her arms raised and her hands moving around her body to maintain the bubble.

"I think I see some light." Elio said, peering forward. The water around them became easier to see through. Light was coming down on them from somewhere.

"Good… We're running out of time." Cindra strained, clearly struggling to continue. Elio noticed this and urged her to walk faster.

"We're almost there. Once we're out of here, let the water go and we'll swim to the edge of the river." He instructed.

"Okay." She agreed, taking in deep breaths to try and maintain her form a little longer.

Finally, they stepped out into the light. Now able to see around them, Elio looked up and saw the late afternoon sky above them. They had indeed finally made it out. However, the river had widened out, and now the current's pull had become stronger.

"We made it, Cindra! Let's get to one side of the river so we can climb out!" Elio said excitedly.

"I…can't…" Cindra said, her arms weakening. The bubble around them started to collapse. Elio worriedly turned to her. It was easy to see that her strength was beginning to give out.

"Cindra!" He exclaimed as her arms fell and the water rushed over both of them.

Caught at the mercy of the raging river, they both spiraled wildly before Elio was able to regain some control. Although he could barely manage to get his head above water, he was able to grab onto Cindra, who was struggling to do the same.

As they both fought to keep themselves and each other above water, Elio turned his head and saw that the river seemed to suddenly disappear just ahead. He tried to swim to the side and grab onto dry land, but it was too late. The two of them were pulled off the edge of a waterfall.

As Elio went into a full panic, Cindra looked down at the pool of water below them. If she could just make one more push, they could land safely. In one last desperate motion, she reached forward with both hands and pulled the water towards her.

Her bending was enough to pull some water up towards them. As the water grabbed them both, she pulled them away from the base of the waterfall. They crashed down into the calm water below, shaken up but still alive.

Elio's grip on her slipped as she used her waterbending to pull herself to dry land. She hoisted herself up onto the grass, gasping for air and spitting up water. She coughed and panted as she turned back towards Elio.

"Elio!" She exclaimed, realizing that he was still in the water. In fact, his strength was giving out too. Elio felt the weight of his staff and his pouch pulling him under the water, and he had lost out on the strength to swim to the edge.

Cindra panicked as she watched him sink under the water. She stood up, taking in deep, rapid breaths, "Come on, come on." She urged herself to act, raising her hands one more time. With a loud yell, she pulled Elio through the water and onto dry land with one last waterbending pull before collapsing to her knees.

Elio flopped onto the ground amidst a puddle of water. He coughed and retched up water that had gotten in his lungs. He laid limply, face down on the ground. He gasped for air and groaned, relieved to still be alive. Cindra crawled over to him.

"Are you alright, Elio?!" She worriedly questioned, turning him onto his back. Elio groaned again, seemingly too tired to even open his eyes and look at her.

"I'm okay… Thank you." He said through his labored breathing. As he slowly relaxed, he reached one hand up and took hold of her hand. She swallowed, saying nothing as she held his hand in both of hers…

As the sun set over the Earth Kingdom, Elio and Cindra silently recovered from the events of the day. No words were spoken between them; they were both too tired to go anywhere, so they just made camp right by the water.

Elio sat in front of the campfire that he had made himself. He'd hung his wet clothes to dry and covered himself in new pants and a thick blanket. His still damp hair hung down over his face. He was still cold and shivering.

Taking in deep breaths, he tried using the fire to warm himself. But as his breathing relaxed, he felt the fire rising and falling with his breaths. Focusing on his breathing, he could feel his body warming itself internally. He exhaled sharply and steam came out of his nose and mouth.

"You look like you're doing better," Cindra observed as she approached the fire and sat across from him. "Hope you like fish." She said, showing the food she'd managed to catch for them.

"Is that what you were out doing? Sorry." Elio said, realizing that she'd been out hunting while he'd been sitting there.

"It's okay. You took more of a beating than I did today… Thank you, Elio, for helping me today. It became more and more obvious as things were happening that I would have died in that cave if you hadn't stepped in. I'm sorry that you got dragged into all that because I made a stupid decision." She apologized sadly.

"It's okay, I understand. Your options were limited. If I'd been in your position, I might have done the same thing." He said understandingly. She smiled a bit.

"I know you're only saying that to make me feel better, but thank you anyways." Cindra said before they went about cooking the fish and getting some food in their stomachs.

As they ate, Elio thought about what Cindra had told him. She wanted to get to the South Pole so she could learn to fight. He now knew that she'd been referring to fighting with waterbending. However, he'd already met someone from the South Pole…

"Cindra. There's something you should know." Elio brought up.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"I know you said you wanted to get to the Southern Water Tribe so you could learn how to fight…but I met someone from there already. Does the name Katara mean anything to you?" He asked curiously.

"Not really," She shook her head. "What did she tell you?"

"There's no one in the Southern Water Tribe that could teach you waterbending. She specifically told me that she was the _last waterbender_ in her tribe." He informed her. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Wh-What? Are you serious…? But…" Her sentence trailed off as this piece of information really sunk into her mind.

"She was actually heading to the Northern Water Tribe. It seems you both were heading to opposite sides of the world for the same reason."

"So this has all been for nothing…?" She realized, pressing her hands on the sides of her head, "Our sister tribe has nothing. And if they have nothing then I have nothing… They were my only shot."

"I'm sorry, Cindra." Elio said sincerely. He didn't have anything reassuring to say other than that. She was right; if what Katara had told him was true then she had come all the way out here for no reason at all.

"I-I have to go." Cindra said, getting up suddenly and scurrying away. Elio watched her with a sad expression before going back to eating his food…


	16. Fiery Waterbender

Elio stood near the edge of the water, practicing with his staff. As usual, he had set his things and his extra clothes off to the side so that nothing would get caught. He practiced spinning his staff with one hand then the other, switching back and forth between the two.

"Elio?" Cindra called to him. He quickly caught the staff with his hand and turned back towards her.

"Hey. How're you doing? I haven't seen you since you ran off last night."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I just…had to wrap my head around everything and figure out what I'm gonna do now… What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

"Training with my staff," He answered. "You wanna give it a try?" He offered.

"Me? Uh… I don't know how to use a staff."

"That's okay. I can show you." He said with a smile. Cindra walked up to him. He handed the staff to her.

"You'll see. It's not that hard to start out."

"Okay… It might be good to learn how to use a weapon since I'll be stuck here with sucky waterbending." She muttered.

"Right… You said that they denied you the chance to learn how to fight because you're a girl, right?" He brought up.

"Yep. It's against tradition." She answered.

"That's kind of dumb. Even in the Fire Nation we have plenty of female soldiers. In fact, one of the best firebenders in our nation is the princess. Seems pretty impractical to me." Elio observed, shaking his head.

"Ha, maybe I should have been a firebender then. Sounds like home could learn a thing or two from the Fire Nation. How sad is that?"

"Mhmm… What happened that made things get so bad that you decided you had to leave?" Elio asked curiously. Cindra sighed.

"That's kind of a long story…"

In the Northern Water Tribe, life wasn't without its challenges, but it was doing better than most places in the world. Virtually untouched by the outside world, they were safe from the tyranny of the Fire Nation.

However, separation from the world was not without its consequences. Society in the North Pole was encapsulated; things had stayed practically the same for decades. So passionate people like Cindra were not given the choice to act in the way they wanted.

Cindra sighed to herself, working on her healing routines like she was supposed to. She'd gotten so used to these practices after doing them repeatedly for so long that she barely thought about them anymore.

It might have been at least a little better if she had the chance to heal actual people rather than just training dummies. But nothing notable was happening in the Northern Water Tribe. They didn't seem interested in what was going on in the world.

But Cindra had heard talk amongst the fishermen and the traders; there was a world war going on. The Fire Nation believed that global conquest was their destiny. But since the Fire Nation had yet to attempt a siege on the North Pole, they weren't concerned at all.

This was frustrating to her! Surely there was something that her people could be doing to help. Perhaps, but it didn't really matter to them. And it wasn't like she'd be able to contribute much; if she got in a fight, she'd be pretty much helpless.

"Cindra, you're exerting too much pressure. Ease up." Her instructor advised her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She flinched and moved her hands away from the dummy, ceasing the healing exercise altogether.

"I'm sorry, Yagoda. I need to take a break. My head's not in the right place for this." She said, clenching and unclenching her fists. She ruffled her hair up a bit, further showing her impatience.

"What's wrong, dear? You haven't been yourself lately." Her instructor observed, placing a concerned hand on her pupil's shoulder. It was getting harder to hide how fed up Cindra had become with the ways of her people.

"Yagoda… What do you know about the war?" She asked.

"Ah," She nodded slowly. "It's been raging on for a long time; about 100 years now. But you've heard the stories already, Cindra. Why is it on your mind?" She asked curiously.

"Well… I don't understand why our tribe hasn't gotten involved in it yet. The whole world seems to be…just crazy when I hear about it." She expressed her thoughts.

"Well, you aren't wrong… However, preserving our way of life has always come first. Neither the North nor the Southern tribes have gotten involved in the war, and with good reason.

"The Fire Nation is a powerful enemy with vast resources. But their focus is on the Earth Kingdom, which holds the most amount of territory. As long as that is their concern, the war isn't our concern." Yagoda explained their tribe's reasoning.

"It doesn't seem right to me… I've only heard negative things. I feel like we should be helping… Do you know if it's really as bad as people are saying it is?"

"I wouldn't know, dear. I haven't ventured far away from here in a long time. If Kanna were here, she could probably tell you more." She thought aloud. Cindra's curiousity quickly spiked.

"Kanna? Who's Kanna?" She asked.

"An old friend of mine. When she was only a little older than you, she ran away from here to escape an arranged marriage. I haven't seen or heard from her since she left, but I wonder if she ever did reach the Southern Water Tribe."

"The Southern Water Tribe… Sorry, we're off track now. I have a better understanding now of why our tribe has remained neutral. Thank you, Yagoda. See you in the next session?" Cindra asked. Yagoda nodded and smiled kindly.

"Of course, Cindra. Stay safe on your way home. When you return tomorrow, we will work on your control while healing." She decided.

"Got it. Bye now!" Cindra waved and hurried out of the healer's training room. She shuffled past some of the younger waterbending girls and made her way towards the royal palace.

"Cindra!" A familiar voice called out to her. Cindra turned around and saw her best friend, Tara, rushing over to her. Tara was like the younger sister Cindra had never had; they'd been friends all their lives.

"Tara! Everything alright?" She asked as Tara fell in step next to her. Tara gave her a look.

"You're heading over to Master Pakku's class again, aren't you?" She questioned.

"Uh, heheh, well…" Cindra chuckled nervously. "I wouldn't say going there this time. I'm just sort of…walking in the general direction of a class that's supposed to start soon?"

"Cindra, you're going to get in trouble! Master Pakku already stated very firmly that he wouldn't speak with you again!" Tara sternly warned her.

"I know that. Which is why I'm not going to speak to Master Pakku… I've found a way to learn from him without him knowing." She revealed with a faint smirk. Tara groaned and shook her head.

"You're sneaking over to watch, aren't you?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that." Cindra quickly replied.

"Cindra!"

"Look, it's no problem! I'll just slip in, check out a few moves, and grab the things I need from the market on my way back. It'll be like I was never there." She reasoned.

"Right, yeah. And when you get caught, you think that'll be a good enough excuse?" Tara asked.

"Dunno. Guess I'll just have to not get caught then," She said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, Tara! Say hi to your mom for me!" She said before hurrying off. Tara sighed and turned around to go back home.

Cindra had pulled this off enough times where she could do it with confidence: she would make her way towards the front entrance, but before reaching it, she would walk around to the side, following alongside the moat that separated the town from the palace and the training grounds.

Once she was almost all the way to one side, she would use her waterbending to create a small plank of ice to balance across. She would quickly and carefully tightrope her way to the other side. She turned back and quickly broke her walkway in half to cover her tracks.

From there, it was a simple climb up the ice walls to the training grounds. It was far away, but Cindra had an unblocked field of view to Master Pakku's class. As she took her position, it seemed that the last of his students were just arriving…

Unfortunately, Cindra hardly ever had the time to stay and observe the whole session, but she took in as much as she can before making her way back home. She passed through the market, purchasing the things on her family's shopping list before coming home.

"Cindra! Do you have the food from the marketplace?" Her mother asked as soon as she came through the doors.

"Yes, mother! I'll bring them over!" Cindra called to her, knowing that her mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner and was waiting on her for the last ingredients. She removed her shoes and quickly rushed over to join her.

"Thank you, Cindra. How was your class today?"

"It was okay. Yagoda says that I need to work more on my control." Cindra answered.

"You've been 'letting your mind wander' again, haven't you? You've gotta rein it in, Cindra. These techniques that you're learning are very important. There could come a day where one of our men is injured and they'll be looking to you to help them." Her mother reminded her.

"Absolutely right," Her father agreed as he stepped into the kitchen to take a seat at the dining room table. "And if that day ever comes, being distracted won't be a good enough excuse, sweetheart."

"I know, dad." Cindra said, helping her mother with the cooking.

"You never know, dear. When that day comes, the man that you lay your hands on to heal could just be the man that you were meant to fall in love with." Her mother suggested, as if this would make the prospect more appealing to her.

"I don't know about that, mom." Cindra said hesitantly, shaking her head.

"It's how I met your father," Her mother stated. "After that hunting accident."

"Oh, I'll never forget. My leg was all torn up. It was _not_ a romantic scene," Her father laughed. "But your mother healed me, and she was very kind. It wasn't long after that before things ran their course." He recalled fondly.

"That'll be you someday, dear." Her mother smiled at her.

"It sounds nice and all, but nothing ever happens here. I doubt it'll happen to me."

"Maybe not, but the point still stands. Your lessons are important, and you should take them seriously; which means giving them your _full focus._ " Her father stated. Cindra nodded.

"Yes, father."

"Food's almost ready. Please set the table, dear. Your brother should be joining us shortly." Her mother requested. Cindra silently did as she was told, setting the table and taking her seat at her father's right hand.

Cindra's younger brother, Ansel, came in through the door a couple minutes later. He removed his shoes and jacket and entered into the kitchen with a mild smile. He took his seat at their father's left hand, while their mother finally took her seat across the table after she'd finished setting down everyone's plates of food.

"Thank you, Cari. How was your training today, son?" Their father asked.

"It was okay," He answered, keeping his eyes down as he ate. "Master Pakku can be rough sometimes." He commented. Cindra's eyebrows furrowed.

"Did something happen? Did you lose another sparring match?" She asked. She knew that her brother wasn't the strongest of fighters; he averaged out on the lower end of the middle of the pack amongst his fellow students.

"I slipped up," He answered with a sigh, taking a sip of water. "It won't happen again."

"Pay close attention to your mistakes, son," Their father advised. "Practice so that way it won't happen again. Every day you get better and better."

Ansel didn't respond to him. He continued to eat his food silently, clearly upset. Whatever had happened was clearly weighing heavily on his mind. It frustrated Cindra that she couldn't do anything for him either. She was even worse off than he was.

"What's on your mind, baby? Speak freely." Their mother invited him softly. Ansel looked up at the concerned eyes of his family looking at him. He took another nervous sip of water.

"Um…" His voice went hoarse and quiet. "Master Pakku… He knows I'm struggling with the level we're at right now. He won't let me move on until I figure it out."

"I see…" Their father nodded in understanding, "Keep working at it, son. You'll get it."

"Yeah…" Ansel sighed and finished his food. He got up from the table. "I'm going to go out and practice some more." He said before excusing himself from the table. No one else spoke until he had exited the house.

"Poor boy," Cari shook her head. "Sometimes I wish the master wouldn't be so hard on him. He's really trying."

"He won't get better unless he learns to push past his limits. That's just the way it works."

"I'm going to talk to him. Try and cheer him up a bit." Cindra said as she got up from the table.

"Alright, dear. Just keep it brief then let him be. He needs his focus." Her father said. Cindra nodded and put her dishes away before going out the back entrance to speak to Ansel.

She stepped out the back door of the house. She found Ansel making his way towards the ocean so that he could practice. She followed him out and walked at a quicker pace so that she could catch up with him.

"Hey, Ansel! Wait up for a second!" She called to him. Ansel glanced back at her and rubbed his hands together.

"You shouldn't be out here, Cindra. The temperature's going down now." He said.

"We've both lived here all our lives, dork. I'll be fine. I just wanna make sure you don't overdo it out here. Talk to me; tell me what's going on." She offered.

"You wouldn't get it." Ansel shook his head. Cindra stepped in front of him to look him in the eyes.

"I may not be skilled in waterbending like you, but I can still help. Talk me through what's going on. I can try to help." She insisted, putting a hand on his arm. He looked up at her hesitantly.

"Isn't that against the traditions? I don't want you to get in trouble."

"It's not like you're teaching me anything. I just wanna help you figure it out." She said with a smile. Ansel thought about this and finally nodded in agreement.

"Okay… Well there's this one move that's giving me more trouble than the others. It goes like this."

Ansel did his best to recall the move as Master Pakku had taught him in class. As he explained it, he went through the stances without waterbending. Cindra observed each step closely, sitting and watching him attempt it multiple times.

Then she saw it. Ansel was going through the movements in an overly cautious manner; because he wasn't flowing through the movements, the water would bounce around awkwardly and fall to the ground.

"I don't know what's going on with me, Cindra. I feel like Pakku's getting in my head. The way that he talks to me; I feel like I'm not doing anything right." He sighed.

"But you see that's the problem, Ansel," Cindra said as she stood up and walked to him. "You're getting self-conscious and overthinking it. You gotta go with the flow. That's the main principle of waterbending, remember?" She reminded him. He looked down and nodded.

"Yeah, you're right… I don't know. I'm trying, Cindra, but maybe I've just reached my limit," He said in defeat. "But thanks for trying." He said to her before turning away and walking back home.

Watching him go, Cindra sighed and scratched the back of her head. She hated to see her little brother like this; she had no idea what Master Pakku and others like him were saying to him. Ever since he'd begun training, it seemed like he was always being pressured to become more skilled.

That only further fed into her own frustrations; she was forced to stand off to the side and watch as those she loved took on the responsibilities of protecting everyone. She wanted to help somehow, but that just wasn't an option for her.

Cindra stepped into the same position that Ansel had shown her. She bent some water over to her and went through the motions, pushing herself through it. It was sloppy, but she successfully pulled off the attack after only a couple tries.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" Another voice broke the air. Cindra turned and saw Master Pakku standing there, "Do you know how sick I am of catching you breaking our traditions?"

"Master Pakku?! What are you doing here?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"I came here to inform your father that he needs to keep a better eye on you. I'm aware that you've been sneaking peeks at my classes." He said.

"Wh-What?! How?! Who told you?" She demanded.

"Do you really think that we wouldn't be keeping an eye on you after your last few violations?"

"It was Tara, wasn't it? She told you!" Cindra realized. Tara was the only person she had told where she was going.

"Your punishment will be dealt with in the morning. I suggest you think very hard about how you will apologize to the council for your blatant disrespect." Master Pakku said, turning his back to her and walking away.

"I won't apologize for doing what's right when no one else will! And I definitely won't give the satisfaction to a self-righteous slug like you!" She declared, redoing the waterbending attack and aiming it towards him.

Pakku reacted immediately, turning around and extending his hands out. He caught her attack and turned it around in a circle, shooting off to the side of her. Cindra tried to catch it and redirect it, but it simply splashed next to her.

"A splash of water isn't going to change my mind, little girl, no matter how hard you throw it. If I were you, I'd hurry home before you make an even bigger embarrassment of yourself." He said coldly before continuing on his way.

Cindra growled angrily. She wanted to try another attack just to spite him, but she could see that it was pointless. It wasn't just that he was skilled; it was that she wasn't skilled. Healing techniques would do nothing for her in a fight.

Cindra made her way back home. She felt a lump in her throat as she approached the back door. She knew she was about to get a serious scolding from her parents again. She wasn't sure she could take this again.

"That better be you coming back inside, Cindra!" Her father barked as she walked in. Cindra winced and followed the sound of his voice to the living room.

"Hello, father, mother." She said quietly, looking them both in the eyes. Her father looked angry and her mother looked deeply concerned. She swallowed nervously.

"Is our way of life a joke to you, Cindra?" Her father demanded.

"Kawan, honey. Let's give Cindra a chance to explain herself." Cari advised.

"Right, yes, do you have a reason this time? Or are you going to say 'I don't know' again?" He questioned. Cindra shrunk back nervously, but she decided to speak up. She was tired of keeping her feelings bottled up inside.

"I'm sick of being useless!" She said, raising her voice.

"Useless? You're not useless, honey." Her mother said.

"But I'm not doing that much either. Ansel and dad train every single day. There's a war going on out there in the world and yet we're all sitting here acting like it isn't! And what if the Fire Nation comes here! What am I supposed to do about it?!" She questioned.

"Who's been telling you all of these things?" Her mother asked.

"Word comes around from merchants and the sailors. Everyone knows about it, mom."

"Watch your tone," Her father warned. "And if that's what you're so concerned about, you already have a solution. Get your mind focused on your healing exercises! That's how you would help!"

"But that's not enough!" She argued, "Suppose I'm healing Ansel in one of the med bays and a Fire Nation soldier comes in and attacks me. What am I gonna do, heal him to death?" She pointed out.

"We've survived as long as we have because of our way of life! It is not a matter of debate! Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in, Cindra?" Her father raised his voice at her.

"I don't care about the council!" She shouted. "I'm tired of being told what role I need to play! I want to do more but no one will take me seriously here… I'm done!" She stormed to her room.

"Cindra! Cindra, get back here!" Her father shouted. However, Cindra slammed the door to her room shut.

Fighting the urge to let tears blind her vision, she grabbed her biggest pack and started grabbing her clothes. She shoved clothes into her pack and closed it up. She opened the door and made her way to the kitchen to grab some food.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Her mother demanded.

"I'm leaving. Since my own people won't listen to me, maybe I'll get some _real_ help in the Southern Water Tribe." She decided, shoving food into her pack.

"You're gonna travel all the way across the world? Enough of this foolishness, Cindra! It's time for you to stop playing these games and accept your role!" Her father demanded.

"No, father! I won't! I will decide what role I play! And if I have to leave my home behind to get it then I'll do it!" She declared.

"And what happens when you get attacked by the Fire Nation on your way there? You don't know how to fight, Cindra! You're not gonna make it." Her father pointed out.

"Well, I'm not gonna learn anything sitting around here!" Cindra shouted back, picking up her pack and marching out the front door.

"Cindra! Come back here!" Her mother shouted.

"Let her go. She'll realize before she can leave what she's doing is foolish." She heard her father say…

"So that was it? You just…got up and left?" Elio asked in surprise. Cindra, who had been in the middle of practicing a staff routine, finished up the last swing and stood up straight.

"Yeah… It was a full moon that night. Waterbenders get stronger during the full moon. I'm not that good, but I was able to use what I knew to get me to the Earth Kingdom. So now here I am.

"Since I left, I'm having to figure everything out for myself. I've hunted for my own food, made my own shelter, and figured out my way this far down into the Earth Kingdom…

"But now that I know that there's nothing waiting for me in the Southern Water Tribe, I guess it really was foolish to go; all for nothing," She said with a sad smile. "I don't know what to do. I doubt they'd welcome me back if I tried to go home."

"You were brave to take your stand, Cindra. I wish I had been courageous enough to do the same with my father, rather than just leaving everything behind and explain myself in a letter." Elio said regretfully.

"Yeah… Thank you for the lesson, Elio. At least I learned something out here." She said, planting one end of the staff on the ground and holding out it to Elio. He took hold of it and looked at her, and a thought entered into his mind...

"Cindra… Why don't you and I travel together?"

"You and me?" Cindra asked in surprise, "Why?"

"You said it yourself; there's nothing waiting for you. I'm in the same boat. At least this way, we'd know we'd have somebody to watch each other's backs, you know?"

"You'd really trust me to do that?"

"I would now," He answered with a faint smile. "We can figure this stuff out together. What do you say?" He asked. Cindra hummed, tapping her thumb against the staff. She finally nodded and smiled.

"Sure. Let's do it." She agreed.

"Alright," He smiled back. "I guess now we should decide where to go from here."

"Well, I've been hearing a lot how Ba Sing Se is the safest city in the world right now. I think that would be a good destination." She said.

"Then let's go to Ba Sing Se." He agreed with a nod. The two gathered their things in their packs and began walking.

"That guide said there was a city on the other side of the tunnel. We'll probably run into it eventually if we go this way." She reasoned.

"I guess we'll see… I think it'll be nice having someone to travel with." Elio said, smiling at her. She smiled back and blushed slightly.

"I think so too," She nodded. "Just don't get any funny ideas." She then warned him quickly.

"Haha, never crossed my mind." He replied with a chuckle...


	17. Sand Ocean

Elio and Cindra found their way to a small town, presumably where their guide was going to take them in the first place. As they approached it, they decided to discuss what they would need for their journey. It was an odd thing to be embarrassed about, but he was apprehensive to have this conversation. He didn't want to get into a disagreement, particularly a disagreement about food.

"So I think there isn't anything that I really need to buy other than food and a map of the Earth Kingdom. How are you on supplies and stuff?" He asked.

"I'm pretty good. I have what I need for whenever we set up camp. So yeah, I think we just need food and the map." She agreed.

"Alright. Well how about we get the map first and then we'll grab some food to take on our way out?" He suggested. She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good to me."

The two of them, after walking through the town and asking around, entered into a small shop that was said to be run by an old man named Lao. Moving aside the cloth curtain that separated the outside and inside of the shop, they stepped into a small, quiet space that was decorated with various knickknacks and mementos from different parts of the Earth Kingdom and seemingly beyond.

"Well hello there! What can I do for you two kids?" The man behind the counter, who was presumably Lao, greeted them as they entered.

"You must be Lao, the owner of the shop, right?" Elio asked.

"That'd be me! You been looking for me? You don't owe me money, do you? Do I owe you money?" He asked humorously. Cindra giggled and shook her head.

"No, sir. The people in town say you're the man we need to see to get a map of the Earth Kingdom. We're trying to get to Ba Sing Se." She explained. The man's eyes widened and he nodded in understanding.

"Oh, I see! Well, you kids came to the right place! Give me a couple minutes to pull out a map for you." He said, holding up a finger as he walked into the back room of the store. Cindra and Elio waited patiently at the front counter.

"I like that stone necklace over there," Cindra commented, pointing out a thicker necklace made up of smooth stones that was on display. "It kinda reminds me of betrothal necklaces back home."

"Yeah, it's nice," Elio said, looking at it and nodding approvingly. "What's a betrothal necklace?" He asked curiously.

"Back home, we have a tradition. When a man asks a woman to marry him and she says yes, he'll carve out a necklace and give it to the woman to wear until the marriage ceremony." She explained. Elio smiled at this sweet, romantic concept.

"That's one of the nicest things I've ever heard. That's cute. And the necklaces that they make look like this one?"

"Well, not exactly. They're just similar." She said with a chuckle. At that moment, Lao came back out with a rolled up map in his hands.

"Okay!" Lao exclaimed, rolling the map out across the counter. He used his finger to direct them across the map as he talked, "This is where we are now, and you kids want to get to Ba Sing Se. That's over here." He traced his finger upwards across the map to point out the large city.

They were almost on the other side of the mainland.

"That's a long way to go." Cindra unhappily acknowledged with a small shaking of her head.

"You're absolutely right. And unfortunately, your options aren't that great either," Lao continued.

"You can take this longer, winding path," Lao traced his finger in a downward curving path that turned back up towards Ba Sing Se. "This is the safer path. It avoids any treacherous geography or Fire Nation camps.

"Or if you really need to get there as soon as possible, you can take this direct path that cuts through the desert. I wouldn't recommend it though! The conditions in the desert are terrible, and it is full of dangerous creatures. Not to mention the sandbenders!" Lao explained their two options.

"I see," Elio nodded, exchanging a glance with Cindra. "Well we'll take the map and discuss it among ourselves. Thank you for your help." Elio said with a polite, sincere smile. He paid for the map and they went on their way, picking out somewhere private to discuss their two options.

"What do you think we should do, Elio?" Cindra asked.

"I'd actually like to hear from you first. I already have an idea of what I think we should do, but I want to hear your thoughts on it."

"Hmm," She hummed. "I think that we should take the longer path. It's safer, and I can practice my waterbending more easily. I doubt I'd be able to do much in the desert."

"My head was kinda somewhere similar," He agreed. "There's no reason for us to take an unnecessary risk just to get to the city faster."

"So let's take the scenic route!" She joked with a laugh.

"Yep," He chuckled. "We'll just grab what we need from the market and get on going."

With this decision now made, they turned away from the shop and began shopping for food items that they could take with them. As they shopped, they talked about home.

"What kind of food do you usually eat up in the North Pole? I can't imagine there's a lot of options up there." Elio curiously inquired.

"A lot of seafood," She answered with a chuckle. "The merchant traders would bring in fruits and vegetables, and our fishermen would bring in anything swimming around that could be cooked."

"Oh wow, yeah I guess that makes sense. Over in the Fire Nation, we do fruits and veggies too, but replace your seafood with our meat. The Fire Nation has some of _the best_ seasoned meat you could ever eat." Elio said, salivating at the mouth just thinking about it.

"Oh yeah?" She giggled.

"Yes, it's the best!" He answered with a laugh.

Once they had finished buying what they needed from the marketplace, Elio and Cindra were ready to set out on the trail and begin the long journey to Ba Sing Se. However, as they were again passing by the shop where they had bought their map, they overheard a conversation that stopped them in their tracks.

"It's been almost two full days now, Lao. I fear the worst has happened." An older woman's voice said sadly.

"I think you're right, honey... I could try and go out there to find her." Lao said.

"No, you wouldn't make it out there. We have no idea how far Sri has gone out there."

"That doesn't sound good," Cindra said to Elio. "We should check it out."

"I agree," Elio nodded. They entered back into the shop. "Excuse me. We just so happened to overhear. What's going on?" He asked.

"Our daughter, Sri, has disappeared into the desert. We have no way of knowing where she is, and we simply just don't have the ability to reach her." Lao said regretfully.

"Sri goes out into the desert to bring back stones and cacti that we use to keep the shop up and running. We always warn her not to go out too far, but I fear something has happened to her." Lao's wife said worriedly.

"Without her, the shop can't continue to run, can it?" Elio asked. Both of them shook their heads.

"We'll help get her back," Cindra spoke up suddenly. "What can we do to help?"

"It's a dangerous venture, kids. We couldn't ask you to do that." Lao shook his head.

"What choice do we have?" His wife asked, "Please, can you two bring our daughter back? We'd give you everything you need to go out into the desert." She offered.

"We'll do what we can." Cindra promised.

"Alright... Well, we'll get you what you need and point you in the right direction." Lao sighed.

Both Lao and his wife retreated into the back room of the shop to gather the supplies that they would need. Once again alone in the room, Elio turned and looked sideways at Cindra. Cindra turned back to him and immediately spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Elio, but I had to speak up. We have to help them, they'll go under without their daughter. We can help her!" She said. Elio nodded and placed a hand on Cindra's back, rubbing it gently.

"I'm glad that you said something. If you didn't, I was going to." He said with a smile.

"Really?" Cindra asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Yeah. We'll do what we can to help. Ba Sing Se will still be there waiting for us when we get back." He answered with a chuckle.

Now equipped with the proper gear to protect their faces and bodies from the sand and harsh winds of the desert, Lao led them to the edge of the desert. He pointed out into the vast ocean of nothingness, showing them where they needed to go.

"That's the direction that Sri went yesterday morning. Her trail has been covered over, but if you keep going in that direction, you should run into a field of cacti. That's where she always goes." Lao directed them.

"Got it," Elio nodded. "We'll do what we can." He promised again.

"Thank you both, kids. We're counting on you." Lao said thankfully before walking back to the shop, leaving the two of them to enter into the desert.

"You ready for this?" Elio asked Cindra, turning to look at her. She looked back and nodded with a determined smile.

"Let's do this."

Elio and Cindra took in a deep breath and stepped into the desert. They felt the sand compress under their feet as they made their way forward. It was a similar sensation to snow in Cindra's opinion, but it was less like crunchy snow and more like stepping in soft mounds of it.

"Can you imagine going out in this every day? Couldn't be me." Elio said with a shake of his head, clutching his protective cloth closer to his body to shield himself from the sun.

"Me neither, but then again, it isn't our livelihood. If we needed this to survive, I'm sure we'd find a way to bare through it." Cindra argued. Elio nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're right about that... Hey take a look, that looks like the cactus field that Lao was talking about." Elio pointed out a group of cacti ahead of them. There were about a dozen of them; not exactly a lot, but it was in comparison to the vast ocean of nothingness all around them.

"At least we know we've started in the right direction. We should leave a mark here; something to tell us how to get back. Otherwise there's no way we'll know where to go." Cindra suggested. Elio nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right. Do you have a knife or something?"

"No. Don't you?"

"Nope." Elio shrugged. He took his staff out and started whacking the nearest cactus with it. He hit it again and again until it toppled over. Even though it was partially burst open, he was still able to rotate it so that way it pointed in the direction they had come from.

"Well, that works," Cindra shrugged. "Now we need to find something that can tell us which way Sri went." She listed, beginning to look around them. As they scanned around the cactus field, they immediately came across a couple of clues.

"Take a look at this, Cindra. Some of these cacti have been cut into. It looks like someone was collecting water out of it." Elio pointed out a cactus that had been cut open cleanly from the top.

"That was probably Sri taking a drink before continuing on. Oh, look!" She ran over to another cactus that had been toppled over. There were pieces of tattered clothing on it.

"Lao said Sri would come out here every single day. I highly doubt this is something she would do voluntarily." Elio observed. Cindra gave him a look.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this looks like a fight happened here. We can safely assume now that Sri has been kidnapped... Didn't Lao say something about sandbenders?" He recalled.

"Yeah... He did..." Cindra said, her attention turning forward. The two of them looked forward and saw trails marked in the sand. It appeared as though someone had come and gone recently on some kind of sand-sled.

Elio and Cindra picked up their pace to follow the trail, following along with it in a straight line. As the sun began to get hotter, Elio removed his protective cloth and draped it over his head to shield him from the blistering sun. Cindra soon did the same.

"Elio, we need to be careful when we find these people. If they have Sri, we'll be at a big disadvantage going against them. I have no water to bend, and they can bend the sand." She pointed out to him. He nodded in agreement.

"We have my firebending, and you can take my staff. Once we have Sri, we'll get out of there as soon as possible. We don't have to beat them. We just have to outrun them."

"That doesn't sound much easier." She said honestly.

"I guess we'll find out when we find them." Elio said, taking his staff out of his sleeve and holding it out to Cindra. She nodded and took it.

"I guess so... The trail's disappearing." She realized. As the winds were starting to pick up, the trail they were following was being covered over.

"Just keep going straight. It hasn't changed course since we began following it. We can only assume it's a straight shot from here."

"And what if it isn't?" She asked him.

"Then we'll be out here a lot longer than we originally planned."

As afternoon began to sink into evening and the temperatures began to cool ever so slightly, they finally caught up with the sandbenders. Up ahead, they found a collection of tents. It seemed that they were setting up camp for the night. Elio and Cindra quickly ducked down low to watch them.

"There they are. The sandbenders." Cindra said. Elio squinted as he tried to carefully scan through them.

"There's quite a few of them. Definitely don't want to get into a direct confrontation with them. We need to figure out where Sri is being held." He said to her.

However, before they could decide on what to do next, they suddenly felt themselves sink into the sand and become trapped. As they yelped out in shock, they heard laughter behind them. Two sandbenders made their way around them.

"Well well, look what we have here. More spies. What should we do with them?" One said to the other.

"Dunno. I guess just take them into the camp and see what they got nearby."

"Where's Sri?" Cindra demanded. The two sandbenders lifted them up into the air, keeping them cocooned in sand.

"You two kids wouldn't happen to have any precious belongings somewhere close by, would you?" The first sandbender asked.

"Answer my question!" Cindra demanded again. As she struggled against the grip of the sand, Elio's staff slipped out and landed on the ground. The second sandbender picked it up.

"Eh? I guess this will do for now. Let's take them back to the camp. The boss can deal with them." They decided.

"Let us go! Tell us where you're keeping Sri!" Cindra continued to fight and demand. The sandbenders ignored her, looking at each other and rolling their eyes. She looked to Elio, surprised that he wasn't also protesting. In fact, he was keeping silent and calm.

"Boss, we found two more lookouts watching over our camp just now. What do you want us to do with them?" The sandbenders asked their leader. He looked them over and sighed.

"I'll deal with them later. For now just put them with the other one." He decided.

"They were also carrying this," One of the sandbenders held up Elio's staff. "Not sure what it is, but maybe you could use it to repair your broken sail." He suggested.

"It looks about the right material. It's a little short though. But I suppose it will do the job for now. Thank you." He said, taking the staff and walking away. The two sandbenders carried Elio and Cindra into a nearby tent.

"Alright, you two. Get cozy here until the boss comes to figure ya'll out. And don't even think about getting loud again, little girl." One of them warned Cindra, wagging a finger in her face. She growled and stretched her neck to bite him, but he quickly retracted his hand.

"Jeez." He said in surprise. They tied Elio and Cindra to a post in the center of the tent. Once they were restrained, the sand keeping them motionless was let loose and removed from them.

"Don't go anywhere." The other sandbender said with a laugh as they exited the tent. Cindra grumbled and adjusted how she was sitting. Elio backed up against the post.

"Well, this wasn't part of the plan." Elio commented.

"What are we gonna do now, Elio?" Cindra asked, turning towards him.

"Don't worry. They don't know it, but we're exactly where we wanted to be. Did you hear what the boss said? He told them to put us with 'the other one'. It's a waiting game now." He explained.

"Right... Right!" She realized.

"Back to your post! You got company tonight, girlie." A sandbender laughed as he roughly dragged a girl into the room. She had dark skin and messy hair that was tied back in a braid that was coming undone. With her thick jacket and bandana wrapped around her neck, she was clearly dressed for the desert.

The sandbender tied her up to the post with Elio and Cindra, brushing his hands together as he walked out of the tent. The girl grunted as she tugged at the ropes. This chafed against Elio and Cindra's wrists.

"Ow! Don't pull so hard!" Cindra quickly protested.

"Sorry, my bad," She apologized. "What'd the sandbenders bring you two in for?" She asked curiously.

"We're looking for Sri. That your name?" Elio asked.

"Yeah... Did my parents send you?" She asked softly.

"Who else? We overheard what happened and volunteered to help you." Cindra explained.

"Oh jeez," Sri shook her head sadly. "Sorry you two got roped into this...literally."

"We've been through worse," Elio said, letting his hands free. He had been quietly burning through the ropes since Sri had been tied down. "Now how about we get you home?" He suggested.

"Nice, dude!" Sri exclaimed as she and Cindra stood up and rubbed their wrists. "How'd you do that?" She asked. She looked at the ropes and realized that they had been burned clean through, "How...did you do that?"

"Escape first, questions later," Cindra quickly came to his rescue. "How do you wanna play this, Elio?" She looked to him. He peeked outside the tent.

"Sri, do you know which tent belongs to their leader?" Elio asked. Sri scooted up next to him and pointed it out to him.

"Big one in the back. That one to the left. See it?"

"Yeah, I see it. Okay... We'll sneak out the back and around. Cindra, you take Sri back towards her home. I'll be right behind you." Elio directed.

"What are you gonna do?" Cindra asked.

"I need my staff back."

The three of them crawled out from the back side of the tent and hurriedly put some distance between them and the campsite. Once they were safely away, Elio broke off from them and went in the opposite direction. He made his way to the leader's tent and snuck in through the back.

"What in the world?" The leader, who was sitting inside, turned around as he noticed the awkward movements of the tent. He saw Elio and immediately bent some sand at him. Elio sidestepped the attack and flashed him in the face with a fire blast.

The leader yelped in shock and fell to the floor. Without missing a beat, Elio advanced forward and grabbed his staff, which was laying on the ground next to him. He spun it and slid it back into its sleeve.

"Take this as a lesson. Let's not kidnap people again, 'kay?" He said. As he started to make his way back out of the tent, another sandbender entered into the tent and saw what was taking place. Elio turned back towards him and realized that he would not make it out without a fight now.

"Escape!" The sandbender yelled, running away from the tent to alert the others. Elio quickly chased him out and threw a fire blast into his back with both hands. Elio took his staff out as he realized that he was about to be surrounded.

"He's a firebender! Stop him!" One of them shouted. Elio began spinning his staff quickly, creating streams of fire and sending them all around him.

The sandbenders jumped back and all at once threw sand at him. Elio jumped upwards and pushed himself into the air with a fire kick. From the air, he threw a flurry of attacks down at the camp, aiming for their tents and sending them on fire.

As he landed on the ground, he slid his staff back into its sleeve and quickly sent out a long blast of fire with both hands. He let out as much fire as he could for a few seconds; enough to keep them from chasing him. Sri and Cindra saw all this, only a few yards away.

"Jeez, he's insane!" Sri exclaimed.

"Elio! Let's go before they put the fires out!" Cindra shouted to him. He looked at them and nodded.

"Lead the way!" Elio said, taking his staff out again. As they made a run for it, he tossed the staff to Cindra.

"How much money did my parents have to shell out to get you to help?" Sri asked Elio, assuming that he was a Fire Nation soldier that her parents had hired.

"Nothing!"

"We volunteered!" Cindra said again.

As they continued running, the air became filled with a low, buzzing noise. Elio and Cindra didn't recognize it and were confused, but Sri's eyes widened in fear at the sound of it.

"What is that?" Elio wondered aloud.

"Buzzard wasps! Get down!" Sri shouted, diving to the ground. Both of them quickly threw themselves to the ground just in time to avoid being swept up by giant bug-like creatures with wings.

"Yikes!" Elio panicked, standing up first and beginning to firebend at them. However, since they were more agile in the air, it was easier for them to avoid being hit.

"Watch out for the stingers!" Sri warned. Cindra got up and protectively stood over Sri with the staff in her hands.

"Get out of here, Cindra! Sri is the mission!" Elio shouted to her, shooting a fireball at the nearest buzzard wasp. It crashed to the ground in a wild blaze.

"We're not going without you!" Cindra shouted back. A buzzard wasp flew directly at her. She firmly took hold of the staff and batted it away, causing it to slide across the sand. Elio quickly shot a fireball at it.

"You two lovebirds quit arguing and keep shooting them down!" Sri yelled. Since she didn't have a weapon, she was completely defenseless and counting on Elio and Cindra to keep her alive.

"Just keep them off of Sri!" Elio shouted, continuing to shoot fireballs up at the buzzard wasps. He started curving his shots to hit more of them. Meanwhile, Cindra continued to bat away the ones that got close.

Several buzzard wasps suddenly charged at both of them, forcing them to duck down to the ground. As a cluster of buzzard wasps began to gather, Elio realized they would need to find a way out. He looked around and found that they were fighting within the cactus field from before.

"Cindra! The cacti! Bend the water in the cacti!" He shouted to her. Cindra's eyes widened as she looked around and realized what he was saying.

"I-I'll try!" She shouted back, quickly getting to her feet.

Taking in a breath, Cindra stretched her hands out, feeling the water in the cacti. Elio looked around and saw the cacti beginning to swirl around. A buzzard wasp hovered over Cindra, ready to come down and sting her. Cindra roared as she lifted a cactus with her waterbending and threw it directly into the side of the buzzard wasp.

"Nice!" Elio encouraged her, using his firebending to cover her.

Now with the both of them using their bending, they were more of a fight against the wasps. Cindra started lifting cacti into the air and impaling wasps with them. Elio would burn them to a crisp when they hit the ground. Sri grabbed the staff from Cindra and began batting the ones trying to attack them from behind.

"We got them on the run now!" Sri shouted, beating one of the buzzard wasps down.

Finally, the bugs turned away and retreated. All three of them dropped their hands down and sighed in relief.

"We did it! We did it! I did it!" Cindra cheered happily, looking at her hands. Elio smiled at her, happy to see her proud of herself.

"Thank you both for saving me." Sri said to Elio and Cindra. It was nighttime now as they arrived back in town. Elio and Cindra both smiled and nodded.

"Happy to help!" Cindra said.

"It was the least we could do. But please, promise us that you won't tell anyone what you saw us do in the desert. We're trying to travel quietly." Elio requested.

"My lips are sealed. I owe it to you both for saving my life." Sri replied appreciatively, shaking hands with both of them.

"Of course. What do you do out there in the desert anyways?" Cindra asked curiously.

"I collect rocks and cactus juice. My mother crafts the rocks into nice necklaces and stuff like that. My dad mixes the cactus juice into drinks for the nearby pub." She explained.

"Sounds...neat." Elio commented with a chuckle.

"It's kinda weird, but it's good! You should try it sometime." Sri invited with a giggle.

"Maybe one day." Elio laughed and shook his head.

"What will you two do now?" Sri asked them.

"Well, we were going to keep traveling, but after today, I think we both just need to rest." Elio chuckled tiredly.

"Yeah. There's an inn in town, isn't there?" Cindra asked.

"There is. We'll pay for your rooms." Sri offered.

"No, that's okay. You don't have to do that." Elio shook his head.

"Well, we're going to. It's decided now. Just let me tell my folks I'm okay now." She smiled and ran back to the shop. Elio and Cindra chuckled and sighed.

"We did good today, didn't we?" Cindra said. Elio nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah we did."


	18. Training

"That was really nice of you to give Sri and her family some money until they can figure out a safer way to keep their business going." Cindra said to Elio as they walked alongside the trail. They were now finally starting on their long journey to Ba Sing Se.

"Yeah, well, I figure it'd be pointless if we saved Sri just for her to go right back into desert the next day. I'm sure they'll figure something out." Elio reasoned. Cindra nodded and chuckled.

"I saw Sri's face when you gave her the money. I think she might have gotten a crush on you in that moment." She teased him. Elio made a face and shook his head.

"Don't be ridiculous." He dismissed the idea. Cindra rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile.

"Just saying. She was all like 'Oh, Elio, I really owe you one now'." She pointed out, deepening her voice to sound more like Sri.

"That is not what she said!" Elio argued, getting a little flustered at the thought of that exchange in the context Cindra was insinuating. Cindra laughed at him.

"Why are you so defensive at the idea of her liking you? Did you like her too?" She cooed at him.

"Oh come on now, Cindra." Elio scoffed and shook his head. Cindra shook her head again and smiled.

"You totally liked her."

"Anyways!" Elio spoke up, abruptly changing the subject, "I was thinking today would be a good day to train. The map says we should be close to a river. What do you say?" He offered.

"I guess we can... But it's not gonna be much of a training session for me. I only know a handful of moves. Not even really a handful, more like...half of a handful." She said.

"That's okay. We'll have a whole day to figure all of that out," Elio smiled. "I think you're better than you give yourself credit for. Plus, now you get to practice waterbending openly." He pointed out.

"Yeah that's true. Thanks." She smiled at him.

While continuing on their way, Elio and Cindra caught sight of the river. It was far away from the trail. There wasn't a lot of good coverage, but it seemed far away enough for them to practice their bending without being seen.

"This seems like a good place," Cindra suggested, setting her pack down. "Depending on how long we're here, we might be able to set up camp here too."

"Not a bad idea. We'll see how it goes." Elio agreed, setting his pack down too. He removed his extraneous layers of clothing until he was just wearing pants and his training vest.

"Do you plan on stripping down before every fight?" She asked teasingly.

"It's so my clothes don't get burned, Cindra." Elio said, looking at her.

"I know that, dork." She snickered. She removed her shoes and her outer garment down to her pants and a sleeveless undershirt.

"I'll let you do your own thing." Elio decided, taking a few steps away from the camp. Cindra nodded and watched him put some distance between them. Then she got to work on her own bending.

Elio's mind went always back to his time in the training academy when he practiced his firebending forms. He had been doing them all of his life. He knew them by heart. And as he'd been forced into more and more fights, he often relied on those basic teachings.

" _What separates the mediocre from the good from the great firebenders, children, is poise. If you do not maintain your composure, you cannot maintain your fire; this leaves you open to attack! You must show your enemy your strength! You must be uncompromising, unrelenting!"_

Elio took his stance and began practicing his punches. With each punch, fire shot out forcefully. He stepped forward, throwing several fire kicks. He jumped and spun in a circle, throwing another kick. When he landed, he imagined an opponent in front of him.

Taking in a calm breath, he threw a sweeping kick. A link of fire curved out from his foot. He spun to his feet and threw several rapid punches. He returned to his starting stance, taking in another breath.

One thing that he had figured out early on was the importance of composure; he kept his focus by making sure that he always took in calm breaths. He found that by keeping his lungs full, he could firebend with confidence and push his limits.

While Elio was in full concentration mode, Cindra was only just beginning. She was trying not to let herself be distracted by his display of skill, but it was hard not to be. The gap between him and her was substantial, and she was all too aware of that.

Nevertheless, she wanted to do her best. Elio had been kindly encouraging her since they'd first met. If he believed she could succeed, she had to try. She owed it to herself to give it her best effort. Despite her inner doubts, she was also excited to practice her bending openly for the first time.

Cindra pulled water out from the river and begun bending it in a circle around her. She created a ring around her and moved her hands to keep it spinning faster and faster. She then curved her left hand forward, snapping the water forward like a whip.

She brought her hands in a circle, compressing the ring of water into a bubble. She separated one bubble into three. Her hands trembled as she concentrated on these three points. One by one she used her hands to throw them forward. They didn't shoot straight, but at least they sort of went where she wanted them to go.

Deciding to push herself even more, she extended her hands out towards the river with her palms up. She flexed her arms, pulling up as much water from the river as she could. She lifted up a sizable bubble, but she was only able to lift it up above her own height before she had to drop it.

"Oh man. That hurt my arms a little." Cindra huffed, rubbing her arms with her hands to try and soothe the tension in her muscles.

"That was pretty good, Cindra!" Elio said to her from where he is. She looked over at him. She hadn't realized that he was observing her.

"It was okay. It could have been better." She shrugged. Elio walked closer to her.

"That's what we practice for. But it's a good place to start too." He pointed out.

"That's true. You already seem to have your firebending mastered." She observed.

"There's always more to learn," He said. "Besides, I've been practicing since I was young. My father had me learning from one of the best teachers in the capital city. It'd be unfair to compare the two of us."

"Yeah, true. Still, I envy that you had the chance to learn. The master waterbender in my tribe would just talk down to me and tell me that I could never be a good fighter because I'm a girl." Cindra sighed irritably.

"He's still in your head, huh?" He asked. She nodded, her lip tugging to one side.

"That's all I've ever been told."

"You just gotta stop comparing yourself to others. There's no other waterbenders out here. No one's gonna judge you by your form or the fact that it's a girl doing it. Not if you prove that you're effective." Elio reasoned.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Come on, how about you hit me with one of those bubbles?" He suggested, taking a few steps back.

"What? Are you kidding?"

"No! Come on! You won't know how it will affect an opponent unless you hit one!" He pointed out.

"Okay... If you're sure." Cindra said hesitantly, lifting a water bubble out of the river. Elio got in his fighting stance.

"Alright. Don't hold back." He said.

He waited for Cindra to attack. However, Cindra was hesitant to hit him with a full-on attack. Elio suddenly advanced as if he were going to attack. This prompted her to hit him with everything she had. The bubble crashed into Elio, knocking him off his feet and making him slide back.

"Elio, are you alright?!" Cindra quickly rushed towards him. Elio coughed once and got up to his feet.

"Whew, that knocked the wind out of me!"

"That looked kinda hard." She said.

"Yeah. But that's good! See, your moves are more effective than you think. You just gotta know how you wanna follow it up when you hit it." Elio said. Cindra smiled a bit.

"I guess so. Thanks, Elio... Hey, so I was wondering... What is it like to bend fire?" She asked curiously.

"To bend fire? What do you mean? Like how do I do it?"

"Well not really how you do it. Just...what does it _feel_ like when you're doing it?" She specified. Elio hummed and thought about this question. He'd never been asked to explain it before since all of his former associates were also firebenders.

"That's an interesting question... It's hard to say, really. It's like...handling your own energy? Like when I throw a punch and fire comes out, it's like the flames become an extension of my reach." He did his best to describe it.

"That must be such a weird feeling." Cindra hummed as she thought about this.

"Wouldn't waterbending feel the same way though?" Elio inquired. Cindra quickly shook her head.

"Oh no, not at all. Waterbending feels like...it's like having a pair of hands that you can't see but you can feel it. Like when I scoop up water, it's like I'm holding it and molding it into the shape I want. That's why I have to constantly move my body: to keep the water in its mold."

"Wow... Now _that_ is weird." Elio chuckled.

"I guess it's hard to understand unless you're doing it." Cindra giggled. Elio took a step back and sat down on the ground, crossing his legs.

"Let me watch you practice for a bit."

"Y-You want to watch me? Why?" She asked, surprised.

"I just wanna see what it's like. I've never seen anyone waterbend before." He explained. Cindra swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Alright. Just stay where you are so I don't hit you." She warned.

She began waterbending again, pulling water from the river and trying out different attacks. As she moved, Elio observed the way that she carried herself. Her weight was constantly shifting as she moved to keep the water balanced. She could advance or retreat at a moment's notice.

As Cindra turned and attacked by throwing another water bubble, Elio stood up and nodded. He walked over to Cindra as she stood up straight.

"Hey, Cindra, do you think you could show me some waterbending forms?" He requested.

"Sure, but I don't see how it would help you."

"I'd just like to learn. Here, I'll even create a fire instead of using my own." He said. He stepped into a clearing and lit some dry grass on fire. He created a burnt ring around it so it wouldn't spread before turning to Cindra.

"What do I do?" He asked.

"Uh, okay. Get into a stance like this." Cindra directed.

Cindra directed Elio into a loose stance with his feet close together. Cindra pulled water to her and showed him how she would comfortably move it. Elio pulled some fire from the burning grass to him and did the same thing. The flame quickly fizzled out.

"That's so weird."

"Remember what I was saying about those hands? Just imagine that you're reaching out and moving the fire, like it isn't yours. You're just borrowing it." She explained.

Elio nodded and tried again. He pulled the fire to him and moved it around in a circle. As the fire began to fizzle out, he added his own fire to it just to sustain it. The fire became more lively as he kept it moving.

"Oh wow. I think I feel it... I had done this before with my staff, but I wasn't thinking about it. I totally have this now." He said.

"That's good!" Cindra smiled, "So you can bend fire but you've never tried bending fire that didn't come from you?" She asked.

"Never needed to," Elio answered. "We're taught to rely on our own strength... Cindra, why don't I teach you a little bit of firebending form?" He offered.

"I'll take it. I think anything would help, honestly."

"Alright. Well, firebending isn't as loose as waterbending. Plant your feet but keep on your toes. Strong stance." Elio directed.

Cindra followed Elio's instructions, getting into the stance. He allowed her to pull more water from the river. He then directed her through a simple firebending form, using his own fire to demonstrate. The water swirled around her before she sent it forward. It shot forward like an uncoordinated spray.

"That was different." Elio commented.

"It was. The stances help me with keeping the water under control." She pointed out, picking a bright side out of the awkward attack.

"Why don't you try just putting your full force into the water? Instead of shooting it forward, just kinda... Think of it like you're closing your 'hand' around it." He suggested.

"Okay." She nodded.

Cindra pulled some more water to it. She held up the bubble in her right hand. She concentrated her energy through her hand into the water. As she flexed her hand, the water suddenly turned into ice. Spikes protruded from the ball.

"Woah!" Cindra exclaimed when she saw what she had done.

"Alright! Now shoot it forward with the same energy!" Elio exclaimed. Cindra nodded, spinning forward and doing so. The ice ball shot forward suddenly, flying and crashing into the ground on the other side of the river.

"That was great!" Cindra grinned proudly.

"So now you know how to make ice. That could come in handy." Elio smiled. Cindra smiled at him and gave him a hug.

"Thank you for helping me so much, Elio. I'm already getting so much better!"

"I'm happy for ya." Elio chuckled and hugged her back.

After spending more of the afternoon practicing, they decided to take a break and have dinner before continuing onwards. Cindra was growing and coming into her own faster than ever before, and Elio had learned a thing or two from her about how to adapt at a moment's notice.

Now they sat together by the river eating some food. Elio used his firebending to cook the food before passing it over to Cindra. In this relaxed setting, they were comfortable just eating in silence. It was a sense of peace that Elio hadn't felt in a long time.

"What do you think it's like in Ba Sing Se?" Cindra asked. Elio shrugged.

"Don't know. I've never been there. I hear it's the biggest city in the world." He answered.

"I heard that too. They say it's impenetrable. The safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Other than the Northern Water Tribe, of course, but that's only because they've never tried to attack." She pointed out.

"True," Elio nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think that's true though. I remember in history class they taught us about General Iroh; he tried to conquer the city in a siege that lasted like six-hundred days or something like that. Even he couldn't get in."

"Six-hundred days? Is the Fire Nation really that stubborn?" She giggled. Elio snorted.

"You'd be surprised."

"You would think after the first hundred..." She continued, snickering to herself. Elio smiled and shook his head.

"It will probably take awhile for us to get in, even when we do get there. The whole world's running there, after all." Elio realized.

"Probably. But we'll be alright. With our forces combined, we're pretty much unstoppable." She said lightly.

"Yeah, pretty much," He agreed humorously. He reached back with his hand to grab some food and accidentally knocked his pack over. Some of his personal belongings spilled out. "Oh, woops." He reached back to scoop everything up. Cindra immediately scooped up one of his items.

"Isn't this for hair? What're you doing with this?" Cindra giggled. Elio looked and realized that she had picked up Azula's royal headpiece. He quickly took it back and stuffed it into his pack.

"That's not mine. That was a gift." He said.

"Ooh, from who? Sri?" She asked teasingly.

"No," Elio groaned. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me." Cindra smirked. Elio scoffed and stopped for a moment.

"It was a gift from the princess of the Fire Nation. Her name is Azula." He told her. Cindra, as he expected, raised an eyebrow at him. Her expression conveyed her doubt.

"That belongs to a princess?"

"Yeah, um, she was wearing it when we met. I helped her out, so she gave it to me as something to remember her by." He explained. Cindra continued to look at him with the same expression before shrugging.

"Alright... So you can't be with Sri because you'd be cheating on the princess?"

"Stop," Elio groaned and chuckled. "It wasn't like that. She was just grateful."

"Mhmm, I'm sure she was," She teased before her expression became more serious. "What did you help her with, Elio?" She asked.

"Ah," Elio swallowed nervously. "There was a team of earthbenders that had gotten into this Fire Nation city. They were hurting innocent people: women and children. She asked me to help her, and when Azula asks for your help, you don't really get to say no."

"I see..." She said, mulling this over. "Sounds like that was a difficult situation to be in."

"Yeah..." Elio said awkwardly, going back to putting his things away. He scooped up the last of his things and put them in his pack. As he stood the pack up again, he realized he had missed one rolled up sheet of thick paper. He picked it up and immediately knew what it was.

Untying the ribbon around it, he slowly opened it up. The faces of his family looked back at him with neutral expressions. He'd been so busy lately that he hadn't taken any time to look at his family portrait. In fact, he hadn't really thought about them at all since running into Cassian.

"Whatcha got there?" She asked. Elio was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Oh! Uh, it's a family portrait. Just forgot I had it." He answered.

"Can I see?" She requested. Elio turned and held the portrait so she could see it. Her eyes scanned it over and she smiled a bit.

"Looks like a nice enough family. Is that your sister?" She asked.

"Yeah, Taiga. You would like her. You both love to tease me." He said with a chuckle.

"Oh I bet we'd get along great then," She laughed. "And that's your mom and your dad. You said your dad was a general, right?"

"Yeah. General Sol..." He answered with a solemn nod. Cindra saw his look of sadness and thought that it was coming from how he felt about his dad.

"Was your dad tough on you?" She asked.

"No, not really. He was a wonderful father..." He sighed, "He had really big plans for me, I know. Plans that I just couldn't go along with. I know that I must have disappointed him when I ran away. It must have hurt him." He explained. He rolled up the picture and put it back in his pack.

"I'm sorry," Cindra said softly, nodding in understanding. "I disappointed my family too. They were sick of me always trying to get involved with things that they thought weren't my problem. When I left, they didn't even come to watch me leave."

"You deserved better than that." Elio said, looking at her. She nodded and took his hand in hers.

"So did you."

The rest of the meal was eaten in relative silence. As the afternoon began to drift into the evening, Elio and Cindra packed up their things to get some more traveling done before it became too cold and too dark.

"Ready to go?" Elio asked.

"I am," She nodded. However, she paused for a bit and glanced at the river. "Hey, Elio?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you say we do one more thing before we continue?"

"What's that? Elio asked, raising his eyebrow at her. She smirked again.

"Let's have a match."

"You wanna spar?"

"Yeah! I need some real world practice!" She exclaimed. Elio chuckled.

"Yeah, that's true. Okay, one quick match and then we'll go." He decided.

"Great!" Cindra smiled and dropped her pack. Elio did the same, and the two got into a starting position.

"I'm not gonna hold back on you, alright? Well, I won't burn you, but you know what I mean." Elio said.

"Just come at me, dork." Cindra challenged with a giggle, getting into her fighting stance. Elio chuckled and did the same.

Elio attacked first, throwing a fireball at Cindra. She brought water in front of her to block the attack. As steam filled the air, Cindra brought more water to her and used a whip on Elio. He jumped to the side to dodge it, throwing a fire kick at her.

Cindra instinctively ducked down under the fire, creating two balls of water. She formed them into icy spike balls and threw them both at Elio. Elio panicked for a moment and jumped into the air, spinning to avoid both projectiles. He landed on the ground and nearly fell.

Cindra saw this and acted quickly, creating another long whip of water. She stretched it out in a sweeping motion to knock Elio off his feet. Elio pushed himself up into the air, flipping backwards to Cindra's left. He threw several more fireballs.

Cindra brought up water from the river to block the blasts. With each blast, the water quickly dissipated. She shrieked in surprise and stumbled back. Elio landed on the ground and rushed forward to continue attacking.

However, their match was interrupted by a sudden wall of earth appearing between them. Elio bumped his shoulder against it and started looking around for the earthbender. He looked and saw a group of four men; two of them were earthbenders.

"Don't worry, miss, we got your back!" One of them said. The two earthbenders began throwing boulders at Elio. Elio quickly evaded them, spinning behind the rock wall.

"Wait, no, don't! We're not fighting! We're friends!" Cindra protested. However, they continued to attack.

The rock wall Elio was hiding behind disappeared. He turned and grabbed his staff, stopping a boulder from hitting it by jabbing directly into it and breaking it into pieces. He vaulted into the air to avoid being trapped in the ground by another earthbending move.

These earthbenders were becoming more and more predictable to him.

"Don't let him get away!"

"Stop it!" Cindra demanded loudly.

Elio landed on the ground and hopped again to avoid being trapped in the ground. One of the non-bender men lunged at him with a sword. Elio spun his staff to knock the sword out of his hand, turning and slamming the staff into the side of his head. He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Tal! You'll pay for that, Fire Nation rat!" One of the earthbenders growled. Elio said nothing as he spun his staff again, ready to attack.

"I said stop!" Cindra yelled, pulling water out of the river. She created an ice wall between Elio and the men. She held her hands up, "He is not the enemy! Leave us alone!" She demanded.

"She's on his side... She's on his side!" The other non-bender realized, "Take them both down! We need him alive!"

He threw a knife directly at Cindra. She yelped and ducked down to avoid it. She ran to the side to avoid the earthbenders throwing boulders at her. She reached out to the river and spun quickly, throwing an ice ball at them. It hit one of the earthbenders and knocked him back into the ice wall, breaking it.

Elio jumped to the other side of the broken ice wall, between the other two men. He smacked the non-bender first with the staff. He spun on his feet and kicked the earthbender in the side. The earthbender blocked the kick and threw a punch in response.

Elio grunted as he bent backwards to dodge it. He fell onto his back and immediately kicked back up to his feet before the earthbender could trap him in the ground. He used his firebending to jump into the air over the earthbender's head, creating a vertical firebending slice by swinging his staff down as he landed.

The earthbender created a wall to protect them from the fire. Cindra, who had been using water to block the non-bender's knife throwing, went back on the offensive, creating more ice balls and shooting them forward at the same time. They crashed into the man, sending him back into the earthbender. They both slammed into the rock wall.

"You're lucky you're wanted alive, firebender." The other earthbender to Elio's right growled aggressively. Elio stepped back to avoid being hit by a boulder.

"What did you say?" He realized.

"They only want you alive. They didn't say you had to be all in one piece!" The earthbender yelled back, creating two rock walls to pin Elio. Elio jumped into the air and landed on top of the rock walls, throwing several fireballs at him.

"Who wants me alive?!" Elio questioned. However, the earthbender didn't answer, but continued to attack.

The other earthbender pushed his partner off of him. The non-bender fell limp to the floor; he had been knocked out. He pushed boulder after boulder out of the ground, throwing them all at Cindra one or two at a time. Cindra took a deep breath to prepare herself.

Cindra cautiously dodged the boulders. As the last two came at her, she brought water from the river up to her. She enveloped the two boulders in water, changing their trajectory by controlling the water around them. She brought them around behind her and sent them back towards the earthbender.

Not expecting this, the earthbender was hit by both boulders and was knocked backwards. He crashed through his own rock wall and tumbled limply, knocked out. The last earthbender looked over and realized that his partners were down.

"No!" He shouted as he realized they were losing. He hopped into the air and began sliding across the ground, making his way between Elio and Cindra. Elio put his staff away and threw a curved fireball, just barely missing him.

Cindra created a small water bubble and hit the earthbender in the face with it. As it splashed into him, she clenched her fist to freeze the water. The water froze around the earthbender's head. She pulled the ice block back towards her, yanking him back towards her violently.

"Nice!" Elio said, flipping forward and landing on the ground. He rushed by Cindra's side as she let the ice around the earthbender's head melt. He gasped for air, still in shock.

"Who sent you?" Elio questioned him once again.

"There's a price on your head, firebender. I don't know what you did to the Fire Nation, but they want you back." The earthbender finally answered him. Elio's eyes widened in shock.

Elio jabbed his staff into the earthbender's head, knocking him out. There was a silence between Elio and Cindra as the fight came to an end.

As Elio and Cindra returned to the trail and began walking again, they had to take some time to silently contemplate what had just happened. Elio wanted to praise Cindra for how well she had done during the fight, but that had been pushed aside by what the earthbender told them...

"So, what do we do now, Elio? The Fire Nation's after you now." Cindra asked. Elio shook his head.

"I'm not sure... Until I figure out the extent of this, I need to be extra cautious. What are you gonna do?" He asked her. She gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, traveling with me just became a lot more dangerous. It's gonna be much harder to get to Ba Sing Se now." Elio pointed out.

"It's gonna be hard either way, Elio. Separating now isn't going to get us anywhere. How would we even separate? We're literally traveling in the same direction to the same place on the same trail." She argued.

"I suppose you're right." Elio awkwardly brushed his hand back through his hair.

"Lighten up, Elio. We'll just stick to the plan and maybe be a little more careful about where we show our faces along the way." She said. Elio nodded.

"Okay. You're right. Sorry, I just assumed that because of what that guy said that-"

"That I would distance myself from you to avoid being attacked?"

"I mean... Yeah." He answered.

"It's gonna take more than that to get rid of me, buddy. We're doing this together." She said with a smile. Elio nodded and managed a smile.

"Thanks, Cindra... You did good today. You have a good battle instinct." He complimented her.

"I guess I do, don't I?" She chuckled, "At least I'm not completely useless." She joked.

"You never were." Elio replied, smiling at her.

"Thanks." She smiled back at him, nudging him with her elbow...


	19. The Scholar

"Wow, this town looks way bigger than the ones I've seen so far." Cindra commented as they entered into the next town. Her eyes went up to a big house on top of a hill; it appeared to be the epicenter of the small city. However, Elio's eyes were focused down on their map of the Earth Kingdom.

"Eh, I've seen bigger." He said with a shrug. Cindra rolled her eyes.

"So what's the plan? Do we have anything we need to grab? Or are we just passing straight through?" She asked.

"That's actually what I was trying to figure out. According to this map, this is the last city before we hit the big bend of the trail that will turn us back towards Ba Sing Se. Once we hit that bend, we won't see any more settlements until we get to the other side of it."

"The end of the bend?"

"The end of the bend," Elio nodded. "So I think we should stock up on some more food and supplies just to be on the safe side." He recommended.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's get going," She said, taking the map from Elio and rolling it up. "You can have this back once you've relaxed a little bit." She stuffed the map into her bag before they began walking through the city.

"Well, it's kinda hard to relax. Apparently I'm a wanted man now." He pointed out.

"Yeah, we still need to figure that out. But overthinking it when there's no Fire Nation around us is not going to help." She said, tapping him on the arm. Elio nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. But I have to remain on edge. I'll ease up when we get out of town." He promised.

"Okay. We'll be quick. I promise." She said with a smile. He nodded and smiled back appreciatively.

Elio and Cindra quietly did their shopping in the market, picking out food to take with them on their journey. They also spent money on supplies that they would need for when they set up camp. Elio noticed that his money was starting to run a little low; he had about half of it left.

"We might have to take on some work when we get up on the stretch to Ba Sing Se. Our funds are about halfway drained now." He informed her.

"That's not good... We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." She decided.

"Alright. Let's just try not to spend money on anything we don't need."

"You say that like we were wasting our money before." She said with a chuckle.

"Oh no, that's not what I meant. I was just saying-"

"I know. I'm teasing you, dork." Cindra said with a smile. Elio brushed his hair back and shook his head.

"Right, yeah. Sorry, just feeling a little off." He apologized.

"I can tell. It's okay, let's get out of here." She said, gesturing with her head.

They began making their way through town with the intentions of passing through and exiting out the other side of the city. As they made their way towards the center, they passed by the entrance to that big house on the hill. They found a handful of people waiting in front of its outer gate.

"Whoa, that's quite a crowd." Elio observed. Analyzing each person waiting outside the gate, they all looked able-bodied and physically fit. He definitely wouldn't want to get into a fight with any of these people.

"What's going on here?" Cindra asked curiously. A young man heard her question and turned towards her.

"You don't know? Surely you must be joking." He said in disbelief. They both shook their heads.

"Enlighten us, please. We're just travelers passing through." Elio explained simply.

"Oh, I see. I guess that makes sense. But still, everyone knows about the House of San!" He said. Both Elio and Cindra looked up at the house on top of the hill.

"Is that San's house?" Cindra pointed to it.

"Yeah. It's not 'San's house', it's 'the House of San'," He repeated. "It's the estate of this guy. He's, like, an amazing fighter. Some people say he used to fight in underground earthbending tournaments. No one can beat him."

"Okay... But that still doesn't explain why you're all crowded outside his gate." Elio said.

"San welcomes any who are strong enough to face him. He's promised to take anyone who wins under his wing and teach them everything he knows. Apparently he has a whole library of fighting styles up there. And he knows all of them!"

"Wow! That's crazy!" Cindra exclaimed, "So...do you know if his knowledge of fighting styles only has to do with earthbending or...?"

"Oh no, not just earthbending! He can do hand-to-hand, he knows how to fight with a ton of different weapons; they say he's incredible! Just imagine how much you could learn from that guy!"

All three of them turned their heads at the sound of the gate being opened. An older gentleman dressed in plain clothing made of quality material cracked the gate open, letting another man go through. They watched as this man led the next challenger up to the house.

"Wow. Well, thank you for filling us in! Good luck with your challenge or whatever!" Cindra said, taking Elio's hand and pulling him away from the crowd.

"Oh yeah, thanks!" He waved back in response. Cindra took Elio back around the corner so that they could talk.

"What's up, Cindra? The way out of town is that way." Elio said, pointing back across the front gate.

"Yes, I know that, but I'm thinking maybe we should go and see this guy." She suggested. Elio's eyes narrowed with an odd expression.

"Why would we do that?" He asked. The whole idea of challenging a random guy in hopes of learning something from him seemed pointless to him.

"Because he's apparently really knowledgeable in fighting! We could probably learn a few things from him! Things that will help us!" She said.

"But we're doing fine with fighting as it is. Besides, we shouldn't stay here any longer than we need to." Elio shook his head. However, Cindra continued to plead with him.

"Please, Elio, can we try? I don't know as much about fighting as you do. I need to learn. With this, at least I'd know that I can confidently defend myself." She insisted. Elio sighed, nodding in understanding.

"Okay. Alright, fine. We'll go see this San character." He agreed.

"Thank you," She said, hugging him. He rolled his eyes and hugged back with a smile. "Well, we better go get in line." She said as she let him go.

As the two waited in line to see the fighter San, they watched as the men in front of them made their way up and down the hill. Those who went up the hill walked with confident strides and their chests puffed up. Then they would soon come back down looking beaten and defeated.

"This guy really doesn't mess around." Elio commented. At first he'd been intimidated by the men waiting in front of the gate. Now he was more nervous to meet the man who was taking all of these other men down one by one.

"Yeah...but I think I have a strategy for how we can get this guy to let us in." Cindra said to him as they made their way to the front of the gate. The older gentleman escorting the challengers up and down eyed them.

"Which one of you will be fighting the master first?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, we both would like to go up together." Cindra answered.

"Only one at a time can see the master." He shook his head.

"Ah, well that's okay." Elio said. However, Cindra spoke up.

"No, we're both going up. Either we both go, or neither of us go!" She stated.

"Then would you kindly step out of line, please? There are others waiting."

"It's okay, Cindra. I'll go first." Elio decided, stepping forward.

"Right this way, sir." The man opened the gate and stepped aside.

However, before he could close the gate, Cindra pushed her way inside and grabbed Elio's hand, pulling him to run up the hill. The man jumped to chase after them, but more challengers tried to force their way through like Cindra had, so he was forced to focus on closing the gate first.

"Come on!" Cindra kept pulling him along. Elio stumbled and pushed himself back to his feet.

"Cindra! I don't think this guy is gonna like us breaking his rules!" Elio pointed out.

The two of them reached the top of the hill and the entrance to the house. They noticed two different paths: the front doors of the house and a set of earth steps leading underneath the house. Elio and Cindra looked at each other and chose to go downstairs.

The path was dimly lit, but soon they found themselves in a huge underground room that stretched out the same length as the house above. In the center of the arena sat one person. Elio and Cindra nervously made their way towards the center to see him.

"A-Are you San?" Cindra asked the man sitting in front of them with his back turned to them.

"I am," He answered in a calm voice. He sounded younger than they'd expected. "Are you here to challenge me, miss?" He asked politely.

"Well, uh, not exactly. You see, we actually-"

"We? There are two of you," He hummed, standing up and turning around. He had lighter skin, flowing dark brown hair, and bright green eyes. "You don't intend to gang up on me, do you?" He asked.

"No." Elio shook his head.

"Really, San, we aren't here to fight. I... We humbly ask that you allow us to see what knowledge of fighting you have learned. I mean, we'll fight you if we need to, but, uh, we'd rather just humbly ask politely...?" She explained. Elio and Cindra exchanged a look and he followed her lead.

"With all due respect to you, fighting is not the way that we would like to go about things. But for the sake of defending herself, she would like to learn whatever you are willing to offer." Elio explained.

"Only she?" San asked, his eyes going from Cindra to Elio, "What about you, good sir? You do not wish to learn?" He asked.

"I know enough already. But she doesn't. She's more of a blank slate than me." Elio answered.

"Excuse me?" She gave him a look.

"That's not an insult. Just a fact." Elio quickly clarified. San chuckled a bit.

"Both of you! Get out of here!" The man who was escorting the challengers stormed in, "Forgive me for this, sir. They slipped past me." He said apologetically.

"It's okay, Ket," San held up his hand. His eyes scanned over Elio and Cindra again. He smiled. "Show them to my living room. Let them get settled into the estate." He decided.

"What?" Elio and Cindra both said in surprise.

"Sir?" Ket said in confusion.

"These are to be our guests. Please, feel free to relax in my home until I am finished with the remaining challengers for the day. Then I will come and see you again." He decided.

"O-Okay! Thank you!" Cindra said with a grin.

"My first name is Alger," He introduced himself, bowing respectfully. "What may I call you both?" He asked.

"My name is Elio." He bowed in return. Cindra awkwardly did the same.

"And my name is Cindra. Thank you, Alger." She said with a polite smile.

"You're quite welcome, Cindra, Elio. This is Ket, my head servant. He will show you to the living room."

Elio and Cindra were in awe of Alger's home once they were brought in through the front doors. The ceilings were tall, the stonework was masterfully done, and the furniture looked more expensive than all of their possessions ten times over. Ket led them to the living room and invited them to sit.

"Please do not stray from this room until the master comes for you." Ket requested, eyeing Cindra especially before leaving them.

"Wow. This place is incredible." Elio commented, looking all around them again.

"I've never been anywhere this nice before. I feel like if I break anything, I'll have to work the rest of my life just to pay it off." Cindra commented and joked. The two of them laughed. Then they felt the floor beneath them shake.

"Oh... There must be a battle going on underneath us now." Cindra realized.

"That must happen often here." Elio commented.

"Oh my goodness! What beautiful guests we have here!" Another voice spoke. The two of them turned and saw a gentleman dressed in traveling gear hurry over to them and look them over, "How interesting. A young man and young woman.

"My dear, your clothing! You must be from the water tribe, no?" This man asked her.

"Uh, y-yeah?" Cindra answered without thinking, completely caught off guard by this man.

"Wow! Such a far away place! Such harsh conditions! And yet such a radiant beauty emerges from it. Please, you must tell me what the north pole is like!" He insisted, getting down on one knee by her. He pulled out a pencil and a journal to write in.

"Um... I'm sorry who are you?" Cindra asked.

"Oh, forgive me! I get ahead of myself," He apologized, putting the pencil and journal away. He stood up straight and dusted off his pants. "My name is Igor. You see, I am a traveling writer; I have been journeying all over the country searching for my next masterpiece!"

"Your next masterpice?" Elio repeated in confusion, "So you like...write stories?"

"Yes! But not just simple little tall tales and children's nursery rhymes. No, I only seek out the most _gripping_ stories! The most captivating!" He described, raising his hand up dramatically.

"Uh...nice. We're waiting on Alger right now. Some peace would be nice." Elio requested. Igor's expression dropped in disappointment.

"Fine. But please, my dear, promise me that you will tell me about the Northern Water Tribe." Igor requested again, getting down on one knee and taking Cindra's hand. She leaned away and retracted her hand.

"Sure. Yeah, maybe later." She reluctantly agreed.

"Igor, please don't harass my guests," Alger said as he entered the living room. "They have politely requested to see what wisdom I have acquired in my collection."

"Really? No one's ever made a _request_ before. But then again, no one else knew that was an option," Igor chuckled ironically. "Very well, cousin. But I do wish to speak with them later."

"You'll have your chance. Elio, Cindra, would you be so kind as to join me for dinner tonight? This will give you both time to find whatever it is you came to see and peruse it in detail." Alger offered to them. Elio and Cindra looked at each other, unsure what to answer.

"I suppose there'd be no harm in it." Cindra said slowly. Elio nodded in agreement before turning his attention back to Alger.

"Yes, we will join you for dinner."

"Wonderful. In the meantime, I will show you to my library." Alger said, walking down a hall and gesturing for them to follow. Elio and Cindra fell into step behind him.

Alger led the two of them into his library: a private study room with two sets of shelves that were filled with books. As Elio and Cindra curiously sifted through the different titles, they found that every book was related to some form of martial art, whether it was instructional or historical.

"This is quite the collection you have here." Elio complimented. Alger smiled and nodded.

"Thank you. Feel free to go through anything you see on the shelf," He invited. "Cindra, it is my understanding that you would like to learn how to defend yourself better. Is that the case?" He asked. Cindra looked up and nodded.

"Yes. Um, I'm a waterbender, but I'm not very good. I'd like to learn how to do without it too, just in case." She explained. Alger's head tilted back a bit and he looked at her with a new interest.

"I see! Well then, I'd be happy to teach you a little hand-to-hand. In the meantime, perhaps you would be interested in this," He said, walking around her and picking a book off the shelf. "This book gives a general overview of waterbending principles, stances, and attacks." He said, handing it to her.

"Really?" Cindra took it, her eyes widening in shock as it was placed in her hands. "I didn't know that books like these were out here." She said.

"They're rare, but I like to collect information from all four corners of the world. Take your time and look it over. When you're ready for your lesson, come and find me in the backyard. I'll be doing some reading of my own," He invited before nodding to the both of them. "Happy reading." He smiled and exited the room.

"Wow. How nice of him." Cindra smiled at Elio, opening the book and turning through its pages to confirm that it was what it said it was.

"Yeah, strangely nice," Elio commented, looking towards the door. "Keep your guard up when you go, alright?"

"I will." Cindra promised.

Elio and Cindra sat down and did some reading for awhile. Cindra carefully read through each page of the waterbending book. Elio found nothing to do with firebending in the library, so he chose to read a book about the art of the staff. After awhile, Cindra decided to break off and meet with Alger.

She made her way out to the backyard. From the top of the hill, she could look out and see the city stretched out all around them. Alger was sitting back in his chair reading his own book. He set it down on his table as soon as she stepped out, standing up to greet her.

"Ready for your lesson?" He asked. Cindra swallowed nervously and nodded.

Alger began directing Cindra. He showed her how to stand, how to throw punches, different ways to react. It was new to her, the feeling of actually being taught. But Alger directed everything in a kind, patient manner. When she did something wrong, he would help her readjust and not let her move on until she got it right.

"Watch your front foot." Alger said, attempting to sweep her front leg. Cindra lifted it up to avoid being swept. She pushed Alger's head away with her palm, making him stumble back. He chuckled and nodded, standing straight.

"I think you've got a good handle now, Cindra. You can rest now." He decided. Cindra nodded and dropped her hands down.

"Thank you, Alger... No one in my tribe was willing to teach me how to defend myself. Only you and Elio have been patient with me and allowed me to grow." She said appreciatively.

"Well, I am glad that you have found your confidence. You seem much more comfortable now," He observed with an approving smile. "That's good."

"Thank you again," She nodded. "I'm going to go back inside. Will we be having dinner soon?" She asked curiously.

"It'll be ready soon." He promised. He watched as Cindra went back inside. Once she was gone, he cleared his throat and scooped his book up off his table, going back inside to make the last preparations for dinner.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Elio asked as Cindra found him still in the library.

"It was good. Really good actually. Alger's a really good teacher." She answered. Elio nodded and hummed.

"Alright, well good."

"Yeah. How's your reading been going?" She asked.

"Fine. It's weird though. There's nothing from my home in this collection. Nothing at all, no bending, no history." He said as he stood up and placed his book back on the shelf.

"Maybe he couldn't get any?" She reasoned with a shrug.

"It's just a weird thing for a collector to be missing. He did say earlier that he collects information from all over the world." Elio pointed out. There was a knock on the door that interrupted him. Alger entered into the room.

"Come with me. Dinner has been served." He invited them.

They followed him to the dining room. They all sat down at a table: Elio, Cindra, Alger, and Igor. Once their plates and drinks were served, they all began to eat.

"Did you enjoy your time in the library, Elio? Come across any insightful information?" Alger asked curiously. Elio nodded and sipped his water.

"I did, thank you. I spent most of my time reading about how to fight with a staff." Elio said.

"Right, yes. I did notice that odd staff that you had on you when you first arrived. Did you not know how to use it before?"

"No, I did. I just wanted to expand my knowledge." Elio explained.

"I'll never understand your obsession with marital arts, Alger. There's so much more to life than fighting." Igor said. Alger nodded.

"I agree. But Elio, I'm curious. Did you have someone _teach_ you the art of the staff?" Alger continued to question. Elio's eyebrows furrowed oddly.

"Yes. I did."

"What was your instructor's name?"

"Why do you-"

"Please. I would like to know." Alger insisted.

"Rala. Rala was my instructor's name." He answered.

"I thought so," Alger nodded, sipping his water. "Only Rala carries such unique staffs."

"You know him?" Elio asked in surprise.

"Wow, that's neat. Small world, huh?" Cindra chuckled, trying to lighten the mood, "You both had the same staff teacher."

"Actually, we didn't," Alger corrected her. "I sought him out and asked him to teach me what he knew. He turned me away, saying that I did not need it. He said that I did not have the balance required to be taught by him. I was forced to teach myself."

"Oh...never mind then." Cindra said awkwardly.

"Which makes me wonder... Why would Rala refuse to teach me only to pass on his knowledge to you?" Alger thought aloud, staring at Elio. Elio leaned back a bit, uncomfortable with his eyes piercing at him.

"I don't know. Guess I can ask next time I see him."

"Surely he knew that you were from the Fire Nation." Alger said. The air suddenly became heavy in the dining room.

"H-He's from the Fire Nation?" Igor stuttered nervously.

"His clothing makes that obvious enough. I'd even go out on a limb to say he's a firebender, based on the ashes coating his staff." Alger added. Elio swallowed.

"Maybe I've just faced firebenders before." He pointed out.

"Perhaps you have. But considering you haven't cleaned your staff of said ashes, it stands to reason that you're used to the ashes. So either you fight firebenders on a daily basis, or you're a firebender." Alger reasoned.

"Alright...fine. You caught me. I am a firebender... So why did you let the two of us in here? Why did you agree to teach Cindra how to fight?" Elio asked in confusion.

"Curiosity. I was curious to find out why a waterbender and a firebender would be traveling together. Almost sounds like a good story, doesn't it, Igor?" He chuckled and glanced at his cousin. As all of this information hit Igor, he began to get excited.

"You-You're right! I must know the circumstances behind this! This could be golden!" Igor exclaimed, struggling to pull his pencil and journal out of his pocket.

"Of course, knowing what you are, I can't possibly allow you to stay, Elio. Respectfully, I have to ask you to leave after dinner." Alger said.

"Wait, what? Why? I've been nothing but respectful." Elio pointed out.

"I can only assume that you've been deceitful since you arrived. But because you _have_ been respectful, I'm giving you the chance to leave quietly." Alger stated, rubbing his fingers together.

"That isn't fair," Cindra objected. "But fine. We'll leave after dinner."

"You don't need to leave so soon," Alger responded. "You can stay longer and continue to learn from my collection. But for the safety of my home, Elio cannot stay with you." He stipulated.

"Um, definitely no! I go where Elio goes, whether we stay or not." She refused. Alger closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"Very well. I'm willing to let you both stay as long as you like, overnight even, but under one condition."

"What's that?" Cindra raised an eyebrow.

"Elio must beat me in a fight. We can head down into my arena after dinner." Alger stated his terms.

"What? Are you stupid? We don't need to be here that badly!" Cindra quickly shut him down. However, Elio spoke up to the contrary.

"I accept your terms. We'll fight after dinner." He agreed.

The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence. Alger and Igor left the room and made their way down into the arena to wait for Elio to join them. Meanwhile, Cindra was trying to talk Elio out of this fight.

"Elio, come on. We should just get out of here. We don't need to be here!" Cindra argued.

"You're right. We don't need to be. But you've seen the gates around this house. We'd be safer here than camping outside. Even if just for one night." He pointed out.

"That's what this is about?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "I don't know about you, but I like sleeping in a bed more than in a tent."

"Elio..."

"He's waiting for me," Elio said, standing up. "This guy's a weirdo, but he seems honorable at least. If I didn't trust him to keep his end of the deal, I wouldn't have agreed."

"Fine... Just don't lose."

"I know you'll have my back if I do." He replied, looking back at her and smiling a bit.

"Finally," Alger said as Elio and Cindra made their way down into the arena. He stood up from his seated position and turned towards them. "Digested your food, Elio?"

"Do you want me to fight with or without my staff?" Elio asked. Alger chuckled humorlessly.

"Firebenders are always so direct. I wish to fight you as you are; pit all of your skills against my own. So you may keep your staff." He decided. Elio removed his extraneous clothing, stripping down to just his training vest. He stepped into the arena with his staff in its sling.

"I assume you want this fight to be on equal terms. Yet we're fighting in your arena surrounded by earth. I'm at a disadvantage." Elio pointed out.

"You agreed to my terms. Surely you considered these things before doing so."

"I did. Just stating a fact." Elio said, pulling his staff out and holding it in his right hand.

"Um, cousin? Where should we stand?" Igor asked nervously.

"If you wish to spectate, go to the steps and sit there." Alger answered.

Cindra and Igor quickly shuffled over to the steps. As they took their seats, Alger got into an earthbending fighting stance. He twisted his foot and the entrance to the arena closed, shutting Cindra and Igor out of the room. Elio looked back in surprise.

"Hey!" He exclaimed.

"Respectfully, Elio, I don't want your ally to step in and interrupt this battle. This is between the two of us now." Alger stated. Elio looked back at him.

"What's your deal with me, Alger? I've done nothing to you... Don't tell me this is about Rala?"

"Rala's decision to pick you over me is his business. But I don't understand why he would; you come from a nation of radicalized murderers. The kind of men who prey on people who cannot defend themselves... People like my mother."

"Your mother?" Elio's eyebrows furrowed.

"My father was a general in this region. He fought to keep peace in the land. He and my mother were killed simply for choosing to stand up in the name of _balance_ and _peace_!" Alger said in a louder, more aggressive tone.

"I'm sorry, Alger... But that has nothing to do with me. I'm not a part of the war!" Elio defended.

"Even so... This will still be satisfying for me."

Alger made the first move, stomping on the floor to create a rising wall of rock. Elio quickly sidestepped several of these, twisting in small circles to dodge his attacks. He turned and threw a fireball with his left hand. Alger created a wall to shield himself.

Sliding the staff back into its sleeve, he continued to pelt the wall with fireballs. Alger held firm before punching the wall, shooting chunks of it back at Elio. Elio ducked down to the ground and awkwardly slid back to his feet, jumping and throwing a fire kick.

As Elio's fire burst through the holes in Alger's defenses, Alger was forced to take several steps back. Elio shot fireballs out of both hands. He crossed his arms in front of him, curving the fireballs around the wall to hit Alger from the sides.

Seeing this, Alger raised up two rock columns on either side of him. He felt the heat blasting around him. He moved his right foot forward and twisted it at the ankle. This created a column that came up from the ground diagonally, slamming into Elio's chest and knocking him back.

"You're more innovative than most firebenders I've seen. I'll give you that. You must have had a good teacher." Alger presumed. He extended both hands out and raised them upwards, creating a large wall underneath Elio. Elio quickly used a fire kick to slide backwards before he could be crushed against the ceiling.

"You'd be surprised how much I had to figure out on my own." Elio said as he got back up. He took his staff back out as the wall came back down into the ground.

Elio spun his staff and swung it towards him, creating curved firebending slices. Alger used a column to block the first one, but it was too volatile of a blast. As the fire broke through the column and swirled around him, Alger was forced to use his footwork to dodge Elio's barrage of attacks.

Elio continued keeping up his offense, putting more power behind his staff swings. Alger stumbled back before getting his footing and stomping on the ground, twisting his foot again. Having seen this before, Elio quickly jumped into the air to avoid being buried in the ground.

In midair, Elio used his firebending to boost himself forward, suddenly shooting forward quickly. Alger's eyes widened and he bent backwards as he fell to the ground, narrowly avoiding getting tackled. Elio slid on his knees and turned back around, swinging his staff again.

Alger rolled sideways to avoid being hit. As he got to his feet, he extended his hands outwards and began moving them inwards and outwards again. From the walls all around them, Alger pulled boulders towards Elio. Elio clutched his staff tighter.

Flexing his arms, he began swinging the staff to bat away and break the incoming boulders. He continued to step around in small circles, avoiding some attacks and breaking through others. Elio noticed one coming at him from a certain angle and jumped into the air, flipping backwards over it.

Alger's eyes widened as he realized he'd unintentionally pulled a boulder towards him. He took a step forward and punched through it. As it broke open, dust scattered in the air. Before Alger could prepare himself to attack again, he suddenly felt something smack him in the forehead.

"Unh!" He grunted as he fell backwards hard. The object that had hit him clattered above his head. Elio had thrown his staff somehow and struck him right in the head. He could hear Elio's footsteps quickly getting closer. He reached out and grabbed the staff, using his earthbending to sink into the ground just as Elio tried to jump on him.

"What?" Elio's eyes widened in shock. He could hear the ground rumbling beneath him. He quickly turned around and jumped backwards.

Alger popped up from the ground just behind Elio. As Elio turned around, Alger swung the staff at his head. Elio ducked under it; he was forced to continue taking retreating steps backwards as Alger used Elio's staff as an offensive weapon.

Elio took a step forward, taking a hard hit on the arm. As the staff hit him, Elio grabbed it with his other hand. He caught Alger by surprise with this and was able to follow up by spinning on his foot and throwing a backwards kick into his head.

With his staff now back in his hands and Alger off balance, he quickly put the staff back in its sleeve and advanced to punch Alger. Alger saw this and blocked it, countering with several punches of his own. Elio swiped them away with his hands.

Alger switched to throwing a kick, which Elio blocked. Alger attempted to use earthbending again. Elio quickly swiped his foot before he could stomp on the ground. This awkward move caused them both to stumble, but Elio was able to close the distance between them again.

Alger threw another punch at Elio. Elio caught his arm with his left hand. He balled his right fist and extended out his middle knuckle. He hit Alger with an uppercut right in the elbow. Alger screamed out in pain and pulled himself back.

Alger clutched his arm and realized that he couldn't move it. He looked up in shock, "What did you do to me?!"

"I took away your bending in your right arm." Elio raised his fists, ready to continue fighting.

However, Alger seemed more focused on his arm now. He grunted as he tried to move it on its own unsuccessfully. He grabbed it with his other hand and slowly moved it, hissing in pain. His clenched teeth slowly softened into a smile and he began to laugh.

"Haha, wow! That's really cool! Do you think you could show me how you did that?" Alger asked. Elio gave him an odd look.

"We're in the middle of a fight!"

"Not anymore. This fight's over," Alger admitted. "With my arm out of commission, it's only a matter of time before you take me down. The chances of me pulling an upset are very slim considering how unprepared I am. I am willing to accept my defeat." Alger decided.

Extending his left hand out, he reopened the entrance into the arena. Cindra raced in and ran over to Elio. Seeing that he was alright, she was relieved. But seeing that Alger was also alright, she was confused.

"What happened?" She asked.

"It seems that I have misjudged you, Elio," Alger realized. "When I saw you, I thought that you were like the many other firebenders that I had seen: stubborn and set in your ways. But seeing Cindra with you, I considered the possibility that you might be different.

"Now I see that you and I are alike in ways that I wouldn't have expected. Like me, you have acquired wisdom from different sources, and today you came out the victor. For that, you have my respect." Alger said, bowing respectfully. Elio, although he wasn't fully sure what he was talking about, bowed in return.

"So that's it then?" Cindra asked.

"Yes," Alger nodded. "I will keep my end of the deal. You both are free to stay in my home for the night. I will have bedrooms prepared for both of you."

"Just one with two beds is all we need." Elio said.

"It'll be done." He nodded.

"Now that all of this nonsense has been dealt with, we can _finally_ get to what really needs to be addressed!" Igor said, pulling out his pencil and journal again, "Elio, you must tell me about the Fire Nation! Tell me about how you met Cindra!"

"What?"

"I can see it now: the story of two lovers brought together by fate! Though the world says that they should be enemies, not even war can break the bond between them! Like yin and yang, they are two opposite halves that complete one another! Beautiful!" Igor rambled, writing all of this down in his notebook.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Elio said, extending two fingers out and shooting a small fire blast at Igor's paper. It quickly burned a hole through it.

"Ah!" Igor's jaw dropped...

Later that night in the bedroom Elio and Cindra were sharing, after they had both freshened up and gotten comfortable, Cindra drew some water and brought it over to Elio, "Let me see your arm." She requested. He rolled up his sleeve, showing her the bruise that he had received from being hit by the staff.

"What ended up happening with that fight?" Cindra asked as she began to heal his arm with her waterbending.

"I chi-blocked his arm. It was enough to stun him and make him stop the fight. I agreed to teach him how to do it, which is part of the reason we get to stay here tonight." Elio briefly explained.

"Chi-blocking? What is that?" She asked.

"I thought I told you about that...?" Elio said, looking at her. Cindra shook her head.

"Nope. Pretty sure you didn't."

"Oh. Well, my bad."

There was a knock at the door again. Cindra paused what she was doing to answer the door. Alger came into the room again with his hands behind his back.

"I hope that the accommodations are comfortable for you two. If you need anything now, tell me, please." He requested. Both of them shook their heads.

"No. But thank you for opening your home to the two of us. We might actually get some good rest now knowing that we're safe here." Cindra said.

"Of course. I'm a man of my word. Elio, if you would be so kind, I would appreciate if you showed me that form you used before." He requested.

"Right now? Yeah, sure." He agreed, standing up and rolling his sleeve back down.

"Thank you. Before that though, I have a gift that I would like to give to you, Cindra," Alger said. He held out the waterbending book that she had been reading through before. "I would like you to have this. Take it with you and learn all you can from it." He said with a smile.

"Really?" She took it from him and looked down at it, "Thank you! This will be a huge help!" She said with an appreciative smile. He chuckled.

"I'm sure it will. And you're quite welcome. Come with me, Elio." Alger gestured with his head. Elio followed him out of the room, and they made their way to the backyard.

"Alright. Chi-blocking is kind of a weird strategy. The points you have to hit are very precise, but I can show you a few easy targets." Elio began as they stepped outside. However, Alger turned around and interrupted him.

"Before you begin this lesson, Elio, I have something that I would like to ask you. Earlier, you told me that you are no part of the ongoing war. What did you mean by that?" He asked. Elio cleared his throat.

"Uh, well... I ran away from my home to avoid taking part in the war. Even though my father wanted me to serve and become a great soldier, I knew that I would be fighting on the wrong side. So I became a deserter and snuck into the Earth Kingdom. Now Cindra and I are just trying to get to Ba Sing Se; safest place in the world right now." He explained.

"You looked at the propaganda that your country was telling you and you saw it for it was; in fact, you saw through it, didn't you? You knew that it was wrong." Alger deduced. Elio nodded.

"Yeah."

"I know the feeling," Alger sighed. "My father, before his untimely death, had deep-rooted feelings of hatred towards the Fire Nation. Not without reason, of course, but he dedicated his life to the fight. More often than not, he was away from home. Mother and I always worried over whether or not he would make it home...

"When a Fire Nation squad killed my mother and father, I held onto that anger for a long time. But as time passed, I came to a realization: part of the reason my father died was because of how hard he had fought. Making enemies is a dangerous game, and my mother's death was a consequence of his choices.

"I promised myself that I would not allow myself to be swept up in emotional propaganda like that. I've sought out information all over the world to expand my views. I've learned different styles and cultures and histories. But I never could bring myself to look at the Fire Nation as anything other than what my father said it was.

"It makes sense to me now why Rala chose you. When I came to him, I was unbalanced. But it wasn't because I lacked the skill to learn from him. It was because I couldn't bring myself to be objective. Even now, I struggle to look at someone for who they are, only what I think they are."

"What do you mean by that?" Elio asked.

"Well, take you and Cindra for example. I saw her as friend and you as foe. When I accept challengers, I don't see them as people. When they enter my arena, I see them as targets and opponents. But Rala...he just sees people. I wasn't ready for his philosophy." He admitted.

"I get what you mean," Elio said. "Long as I've been here in the Earth Kingdom, I've constantly been getting attacked by earthbenders. I was growing to hate them too... You're only the second earthbender who's ever been willing to speak to me in a civilized way."

"It's a true shame, and that dangerous thinking is what made me want to avoid these conflicts. But I see now that I have much to learn, and things within me that I need to change," Alger acknowledged before looking at Elio. "So I thank you, Elio, for opening my eyes to that."

"You're welcome, I suppose." Elio said, holding a hand out to him. Alger shook hands with him.

"Perhaps in the future, as time passes, I might even be able to call you a friend one day."

"Maybe." Elio agreed.

"Now please, teach me how to do what you did." Alger said with an excited smile.

"Haha, alright." Elio said with a chuckle...


	20. The Swamp

"Feels like forever since the last time I had a chance to sleep on a regular bed," Elio commented as he and Cindra walked side by side down the road. "First good night of rest that I've gotten in a long time."

"When was the last time you slept in a 'real bed'?" Cindra asked curiously. Elio hummed as he thought about it.

"I can't say how long exactly. A number of weeks now." He answered.

"Since you left home, right?"

"Yeah. Feels like another lifetime ago at this point." He said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah... Do you hear that?" Cindra asked.

Both of their ears became alerted to the sounds of a herd stampeding towards them. Elio's head tilted oddly as his ears fixated on the noise. The low thuds hitting the ground in a certain way... Something about it was familiar.

"That almost sounds like...komodo rhinos!" Elio exclaimed as he saw them coming.

Elio jumped in front of Cindra and pulled out his staff. He spun it to deflect the fire blasts being shot at them. Fire Nation soldiers riding on top of the komodo rhinos began to approach and encircle them.

"Elio, son of General Sol! You are being placed under arrest!" One of them shouted. Elio held a protective arm up in front of Cindra and they took a few steps back.

"On who's authority?!" Elio demanded.

"Mine," One of the soldiers dismounted his komodo rhino and removed his helmet. "You've got some explaining to do, Elio." Cassian said angrily. Elio's eyes widened.

"Cassian? What's going on here?!"

"I have a message for you from your father!" Cassian shouted, shooting a fireball directly at him. Elio quickly spun his staff, creating a wall of fire to protect himself and Cindra.

"See a way out of this?!" Elio looked back at her. Cindra looked around in a panic.

"Uh, there's that thick forest behind us! We can use it for cover!" Cindra shouted, pointing behind him. Elio looked back and saw a thick, mucky forest behind them.

"Go!"

"What about you?!" She shouted.

"I'll be right behind you!" He promised. Cindra swallowed nervously and began running towards the forest.

Elio spun in a circle while still spinning his staff, bending the wall of fire in a huge circular arc around him. He sent it out towards Cassian and his men. As it shot towards them, they all shouted in surprise and shielded themselves. Some of them were thrown off of their komodo rhinos.

Cassian punched a fireball directly at Elio through his attack. Elio nearly fell over just blocking the attack. He slid his staff back into his sleeve, spreading his hands out to nullify Cassian's second fireball. He threw a fire kick back at him and jumped backwards, boosting himself with fire out of both feet.

"Don't let him get away!" Cassian shouted as he bent Elio's attack towards the ground.

Elio backflipped through the air and landed awkwardly on his knees, sliding backwards down a hill towards Cindra. He fell on his chest but quickly pushed himself back up to his feet. He ran to catch up with her and she took his hand as they ran into the forest.

"Friends of yours?" Cindra asked.

"Unfortunately! The leader's my best friend." Elio explained. A fireball shot past them, forcing them to let go of each other's hands. Cassian began bringing his hands around in circles, creating fire. He stared at Elio with a wrathful expression.

"Seems like you two have some things to work out!" Cindra said. She flipped open her pouch full of water and bent the water out, ready to attack.

Cassian focused his first attack at Elio. Elio slid back a bit as he tried to bend it away from him. Cindra created a whip out of water and lashed Cassian across the cheek with it. He growled out in pain and turned his attention to Cindra.

With both hands, he shot a huge blast of fire directly at her. Cindra created a wall of ice in front of her to protect herself. However, the fire hit the wall forcefully, causing it to break open. This knocked Cindra backwards, deeper into the forest. She screamed as she went flying back.

"Cindra!" Elio shouted, turning back towards Cassian. He threw several hard fire punches towards Cassian. Cassian swatted them away and blasted his own wall of fire at Elio.

Elio raised up his hands, ready to block the attack. However, as it hit his hands, the force felt stronger than what he had expected. He also felt something pull him backwards, causing him to fly back deeper into the forest. He shouted out in surprise as he flew back and landed on his head.

Seeing that both of his targets had disappeared deeper into the forest, Cassian growled angrily and shouted at his men to catch up, "Dismount! Find Elio and the girl!" He ordered, leading his squad into the forest after them...

Cindra laid on her side in a puddle of swamp water. She sat up with a gasp, bending the water around her. She looked up towards where Cassian and his men had been, ready to attack. However, her hands soon dropped back down as she realized she was alone.

"Hello? Elio?!" She called out and looked around. It was quiet all around her; nothing but the twisting vines and roots of the trees creating a thick, winding environment. She was surrounded by nature; she seemed to be lost in it.

"Where'd everybody go?" She wondered aloud.

Feeling a sudden, light pull at her ankles, Cindra looked down and saw that the puddle she had been standing in was now flowing deeper into the swamp. It had been immobile only moments ago. Cindra tried to bend water out of it again, but it pulled away from her and splashed back into the flowing water.

"Okay...?" Cindra's eyebrows furrowed oddly. She began to follow the water to see where it would lead...

"Sir! The forest is getting thicker with every step! We could be ambushed in here!" One of Cassian's men said to him. Cassian looked all around them; there were plenty of hiding spots.

"Stay alert. Even if they do try to ambush us, there's only two of them. Don't get weak on me now," He said, pushing for them to continue deeper.

Suddenly, a swarm of giant flies began to swirl around them. The men all shouted out fearfully, shooting fireballs at the swarm. Cassian yelled out and blasted them down, "We won't give up that easily!" He declared...

Elio felt tiny sensations of cold nipping at his face. He groaned dully, opening his eyes. He sat up slowly, feeling pain in the back of his head. He rubbed it and looked at his hand. No blood. He then realized that all around him, white flakes were slowly falling.

"Is this...snow?" He said in confusion, slowly getting to his feet. He looked around; he was somewhere deep in this murky swamp. But where was the snow coming from? He looked up, but he couldn't see an identifiable source.

"Cindra? Where are you?" He called out, picking a direction to his left and walking forward.

As he walked, he rolled his right sleeve back and held his arm up. He let the snowflakes fall on his arm. His arm soon became moist, glazed in a thin layer of cold water sprinkles. He wiped it off with his other hand and rolled his sleeve back.

"Weird." He said to himself.

" _Now you just remind me of my brother."_

Elio froze in place, looking around. He looked all around him, trying to see where the voice had come from. As he slid around in a circle, something shot past his face. He quickly hid himself behind a tree and looked at what had shot past him:

Just in front of him, burning on the ground, there was a single blue flame. Elio's eyes widened at the sight of it. He watched as it slowly turned orange before dying out from the snow.

Elio swallowed nervously and slowly peeked his head around the tree. He expected to see another blast. But there was nothing. He stepped out and scanned around, but there was no one there. No one there at all...

The flowing water led Cindra out into a clearing. There was still a thick canopy of leaves and vines above her, but she no longer had to climb over tree roots and scale small hills. Now she stood in front of a pond. The little creek of flowing water poured into this pond.

She lifted one hand up to shield her face protectively as a white light suddenly began to shine brightly above the pond. As the flashing light relaxed, she moved her hand away to look. She found herself looking at the figure of an unfamiliar old man dressed in white floating above the pond.

"What the...? What are you?!" Cindra's eyes widened in shock.

The man said nothing to her. He simply smiled kindly. He lifted up his left hand and twisted it at the wrist. Cindra watched this person waterbend to her left. With his right hand, he did the same thing and another tower of water rose. He crossed one arm over the other, and the two walls of water crashed into each other with a big splash.

"Y-You're a waterbender?" She realized. The man nodded to her, motioning to her with an outstretched hand. Cindra didn't understand at first, but then it slowly occurred to her what he wanted.

"You want me to do it too?" She asked. The man nodded once again, smiling encouragingly.

"O-Okay..." Cindra agreed, unsure of what would happen if she refused. She nervously lifted her hands up in the same manner...

"Sir, these swamp creatures are ferocious! There's no way those two would survive this deep in the forest." One of Cassian's men said to him.

"Yeah, and neither will we if we keep trekking deeper!" Another soldier spoke up. However, Cassian was determined to catch Elio.

"We're Fire Nation soldiers! We persevere, we don't cower in fear!" Cassian shouted at his men.

" _Stop, brother, please don't make me do this!"_

Cassian turned back with widened eyes, hearing Elio's voice distantly echoing through the trees. He quickly created fire in his hands and shot it into the forest, "Show yourself, coward!"

" _Cassian... I'm so sorry."_

"Come out and fight me like a man, Elio! If you have any honor, any decency left! You owe that to me!" Cassian yelled into the swamp. However, no response came. Cassian growled impatiently as a low rumbling began to shake the air in front of him.

"Where are you?!" He screamed.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt shot from somewhere in the darkness. Cassian, as well as all of his men, threw themselves to the ground in shock as it raced through the air above them. They covered their heads as thunder echoed around them and slowly faded into silence.

"W-Was that lightning?!" One man shuddered. Cassian stood up with widened eyes.

"Alright, men, I'm ordering a tactical retreat! We need to get out of this swamp!" He said urgently...

Elio found himself stepping into a clearing. The grass disappeared and gave way to a floor that appeared to be some kind of muddy clay. As Elio stepped forward into the clearing, he saw a figure dressed in dark clothing standing with his back turned to him.

"Who are you? Can you help me?" He asked. The figure turned around and smiled at him.

"As a matter of fact, I can!" He laughed. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.

"Master Rala!" He exclaimed in shock, "What're you doing here?!"

"I'm here for you, my faithful student," He smiled, removing his hood. He took out a staff made of dark wood. "It's time for your next lesson. Step forward." He instructed.

Elio, while still in pure shock, dropped his pack and his cloak. He pulled his staff out and took a few steps forward. Rala removed his cloak as well and spun his staff.

"You've been through quite a bit, haven't you? You hold that staff with more confidence and certainty now." He observed. Elio spun the staff around and held it out in front of him, parallel to the ground, as he got into a fighting stance.

"I've had more chances to use it." He said simply.

"Let's see how you've improved then."

Rala charged towards Elio. Elio took in a breath and advanced forward, gripping the staff in both hands. Rala jumped up and slammed his staff down towards Elio's head. Elio caught the blow with the middle of his own staff, and took several steps back to deflect Rala's quick attacks.

Elio twisted the staff into a vertical position to deflect a strong swing from Rala. He spun the staff around and lunged forward, thrusting the staff towards Rala. Rala kicked his staff upwards and swung at Elio's head. Elio bent backwards and felt it whiz in front of his face.

"Whoa!" Elio exclaimed, catching himself. He deflected Rala's quick strikes, twisting the staff back and forth. He spun around Rala and stepped away without striking him.

"Stop fighting defensively, Elio! You need to strike back!" Rala raised his voice. He turned back around and swung the staff aggressively at Elio. Elio was forced to continue stepping back in order to safely block the attacks.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Elio shouted.

"Your opponent won't wait for you to be ready!" Rala shouted back, continuing to attack. With a hard swing, he knocked Elio's staff out of his hand. Now completely open, Rala kicked Elio in the chest. This knocked him backwards and he crashed back-first into a tree.

"Ah!" Elio yelped in pain, forcing himself to stand back up.

"Pick up your staff, child, and fight for real now." Rala instructed...

Much to Cindra's disbelief, this strange figure of a man was actually teaching her how to waterbend. It was a simple, wordless process: he would show her a move, and she would imitate it. He never said a word, but he would wait patiently until she figured the move out herself. Then the process would begin again with another move.

With more confidence in her abilities than ever before, Cindra pulled water from the pond towards her. She swirled it around her and split it into 4 different currents, making them all move in different directions. She brought them back into the pond and lifted up a wall of water with one hand. She closed her fist and it turned into ice.

The man, seeing that she had learned everything he had taught her, smiled approvingly and nodded his head. He moved his hands outwards, unfreezing the water and allowing the pond to settle again. Cindra took in a deep breath, looking up at him.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Tui," He answered in a gentle voice. "But you already know me, don't you?"

"You're the moon spirit!" Cindra said, her eyes widening, "The actual moon spirit!"

"Yes," Tui nodded and smiled in amusement. "It's nice to see you again, Cindra."

Cindra's mind immediately went back years into the past to the one and only time that she saw the ocean and moon spirits in the flesh. She was a young girl who was given the honor of entering into that sacred alcove to see the spirits, her and her family.

"You remember me?" Cindra asked in shock.

"More than remember, my dear. I've been watching over you for some time. I've seen how you have persisted in the face of opposition and carved out a path for yourself." He described. Cindra blushed in embarrassment; her previous actions seemed more embarrassing to her now.

"Oh... I might not have acted that way if I'd known you were watching me." She admitted.

"It's alright, dear. Your heart was in the right place; it was your tribe that needed to catch up with you. It gives me great pleasure to tell you that now they have."

"What? Wh-What do you mean?" She asked.

"Whenever you decide to return to your home, you will be welcomed back with open arms. The schools of waterbending are now open to you and the rest of the women. It will be up to you to decide when you will complete your training there." Tui explained.

Cindra's jaw dropped in shock. Surely it was too good to be true. The spirit of the moon himself was telling her to come home; that she could be the waterbending master she truly wanted to be. She fell down to her knees and began to laugh joyfully.

"Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!" She exclaimed. Tui smiled delightfully at seeing her happiness. However, his expression became more serious.

"Your time to return must come soon, child. Times are changing, and the world is becoming darker. As we speak, there is a fleet of Fire Nation ships gathered outside our walls. With the sun in the sky, they are beginning a siege."

"What?!" Cindra shouted, "The Fire Nation is attacking our home?! I-I should be there!"

"Do not fear, Cindra. We have the Avatar and his friends on our side. Do not feel guilty for not being present. You are not yet ready to stand for your tribe. But your time will come." Tui promised.

"I-I don't understand." She shook her head. Rather than clarify directly, Tui decided to address something else.

"You've made quite an interesting friend on your travels, Cindra. What do you think of him?" He asked. Cindra's eyebrows dropped strangely.

"You must mean Elio... He's a good partner and a better friend. I wouldn't have gotten this far without him." She answered. Tui nodded and smiled a bit.

"Keep him close, child. Together, the two of you will do great things. Remember the duty that you wish to take on: maintaining peace in your tribe. Cindra, woman of the moon, I wish the best for you on your journey." Tui wished upon her.

"Thank you," Cindra dropped her head down humbly. "So is that it then?"

"Yes. I've taught you everything that you need for now. But I am needed back home now. Watch the skies, Cindra. You will see a sign and you will know when it is time for you to come home." Tui advised before disappearing.

Cindra swallowed nervously, getting to her feet. With the white light of Tui's presence now gone, Cindra needed to find Elio again. She also needed to process the heavy information that she had just been given. She could only imagine right now what it all meant...

"Ahh!" Elio yelled out in pain as Rala struck him again, this time in the arm. He stumbled to the side before blocking Rala's attack. He struck Rala in the leg and elbowed him in the chest to push him back.

"Good! Choose your points carefully and strike with conviction! You cannot afford to hesitate or run away anymore, Elio. You must learn to face your problems head on!" Rala instructed. He set his staff down and signaled Elio to do the same.

"Why are teaching me this, master?" Elio asked, clutching his arm and dropping down to one knee. "What do you know that I don't?" He looked up at him. Rala sighed.

"Do you know where you are right now, Elio?" He asked. Elio shook his head.

"No."

"You are in a very spiritual place, Elio. This swamp has roots that stretch out for miles. Standing here, you can almost feel the heartbeat of the planet." He said with a chuckle. Elio swallowed and shook his head.

"What do you mean 'spiritual'? This place has connections to the spirit world?" He asked.

"Yes it does. But I sense that you don't have a strong belief in the spirit world, do you?" Rala questioned. Elio shook his head again.

"I've never seen proof it exists." He answered.

"That's fair. It is hard to believe in something you can't see. Have a seat, Elio," Rala invited, sitting down cross-legged on the ground. Elio sat down in front of him, crossing his legs too.

"The word spiritual is a compound word, Elio. Divide it into two parts, you get the words 'spirit' and 'ritual'. Spirituality is very difficult to learn, but when it is associated with truth, it can set you for life, son. You have to believe in the right things.

"Ritual: repeating actions again and again. When you train, you go through the same firebending forms that you were first taught. Why is that?" Rala asked.

"Be...Because it's the foundation of everything else that I know how to do." Elio answered.

"Precisely. When you _believe in something_ , Elio, it will show in what you say and do. Aren't your beliefs the reason why you chose to leave the Fire Nation? Why you left your family and friends behind?" Rala asked. Elio nodded slowly.

"Yes... I know that what the Fire Nation is doing is wrong. I know that people are suffering, and I don't want to contribute to that suffering."

"And that is a perfect example of spirituality in harmony with truth. The world is full of different beliefs, Elio, but there is only one true good path in life. You must find it, you must commit to it, and you need to be willing to fight for it...

"That brings us to the spirit. Your life is precious, Elio. To walk one path or another can be to choose between life or death. Spirituality is about _conviction_ ; you must be determined to see through to the end whatever path you choose for yourself, or to change your ways if you later discover what you're doing is wrong.

"That brings us to the other aspect of the spirit: faith. You won't know for sure where your path in life will lead you until you begin walking. Carefully choosing what you believe in and what you will commit yourself to is all well and good, but it will be for nothing unless you truly _believe_ that it will be to your benefit."

"I see... But what does this have to do with the spirit world?" Elio asked.

"This has less to do with the spirit world and more to do with you, Elio. You need to ask yourself what it is you believe. What are you convictions? What are you willing to fight for? Your morals and your strength as a firebender come from your spirituality, Elio. You must keep them firm and pointed in the right direction."

"Are...you saying that I am not moving in the right direction right now?" Elio asked in confusion.

"Only you can answer that for yourself," Rala said, patting him on the shoulder. "But you will find the answer. You're a smart kid." He said with a smile.

"Thank you, Rala, for teaching me these things. I only wish I understood better." Elio said honestly.

"It will all come in due time. You have much to consider, Elio. I have taught you spirituality and I have taught you conviction. But as your trials come, you must draw the line for yourself on how far you are willing to go."

"What do you mean 'how far'?" Elio asked.

"Because of this path you have chosen, not all of your opponents will be your enemies. You will be forced to stand before friends, family even, and you may have to fight. I know you don't wish to hurt others in the name of what is bad, but are you willing to hurt others in the name of what is good?" Rala asked.

Elio felt a growing pit in his stomach as the true gravity of Rala's teachings began to hit him. His mind immediately went to Cassian. He knew that Cassian wouldn't rest until he caught him. They would come face to face again, and they would have to fight.

"Cassian is my best friend. I don't want to hurt him. B-But he may give me no choice." Elio said.

"Only you can know what you will do when that time comes, Elio. Consider it carefully. I trust that you will come to the right decision." Rala said, patting him on the shoulder again before turning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Elio asked.

"My time in this place is not finished. But you have a different path to walk. Be safe on your journey, Elio! I wish you the best." Rala said kindly, smiling back at him before walking deeper into the swamp out of sight.

Elio swallowed and looked down at the ground. He slid his staff back into its sleeve. Rala was right. He was going to have to very carefully consider what he was going to do. His life would depend on it. Cindra's life might depend on it too...

"Elio!" Cindra called out as she approached a clearing. Elio turned towards the sound of her voice and saw her coming.

"Cindra!" Elio shouted in relief upon seeing her. He ran towards her and embraced her, hugging her tightly, "You're okay!"

"I'm okay," She sighed in relief and hugged him tightly back. "I was so worried when we got separated. You won't believe what happened to me!"

"I was about to say the same thing! But let's get out of this place first. Then we can talk about it." Elio said, holding his hand out to her. She smiled and took it...

Cindra and Elio finally found their way back out from the swamp. Once they had managed to get back to the trail, they found a safe and secluded place to make camp for the night. Elio made the fire and they sat down side by side, eating and discussing what had happened.

"You're really sure it was the _actual_ moon spirit and not just some weird hallucination?" Elio asked. Cindra nodded.

"I'm positive! He was waterbending, Elio, he was waterbending right in front of me! And he showed me forms I'd never seen before! I feel like such a better waterbender now!" She said happily.

"I'm happy for you, Cindra. You'll have to shout thank you at the night sky." He joked.

"I'm not gonna do that," She giggled and nudged him. "But he did say something else. He says that there's a Fire Nation siege happening at the Northern Water Tribe. That the Avatar is there now trying to stop the invasion." She said seriously.

"Oh wow... You think it's really happening?" Elio asked.

"It has to be... I know he said that I shouldn't feel guilty, but I'm worried, Elio. My family is there. My father and my brother could be fighting Fire Nation soldiers right now. My dad might be fine, but my brother struggles sometimes with his formations. What if he...?"

"Hey hey, calm down. Relax," Elio said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and rubbing her arms comfortingly. "If Aang and his friends are there, I'm sure your family will be safe. Just...have a little faith." He said to reassure her.

"I'm trying... Who's Aang?" Cindra asked, looking up at him.

"That's the Avatar's name."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I...met him once...?" Elio answered slowly.

"You _met_ the Avatar! And you didn't tell me?!" Cindra said in surprise.

"It never came up!" He said defensively.

"You are such a dork! If it were me, I'd have already told you about it like three times!" She teased him.

"Well I'm sorry!" Elio said humorously. Cindra shook her head and chuckled quietly, resting her head against him.

"Thanks for comforting me, Elio. I'm glad that you're alright." She said.

"I'm glad you're okay too... I saw someone too. In the swamp." Elio said.

"Who?" Cindra asked.

"My master. The one who taught me how to use my staff."

"Really? That's so strange. What did he say to you?" She asked, looking up at him again. Elio let go of her and rested his hands in his lap.

"A lot of things. He talked to me about spirituality and the spirit world and beliefs, convictions, fighting techniques and morals. It was so much. I'm still processing everything." Elio messily tried to summarize his experience.

"Sounds like a lot. Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine, Cindra. I just... He said something that I just can't get out of my head. My best friend, Cassian, is chasing after me. He wants to capture me. I-I don't know what I'm gonna do when I see him again. I'm gonna have to face him and I don't wanna-"

"Hey hey, Elio, look at me. Look at me," Cindra shushed him, putting a hand on his arm. "You don't have to fight him. If we're careful, we can avoid him completely. You won't have to do anything drastic." She reassured him.

"I don't want to, but I worry that I might soon have to," Elio sighed. "For your sake and mine. If Cassian is forced to choose between my life and his loyalty to the Fire Nation, he _will_ kill me." He said certainly.

Cindra had nothing to say in response to that. She took Elio's hand again, holding it in both of hers. With things getting more intense for the two of them, they would both have to make some tough decisions. Though the timing wasn't great, Cindra had something else to tell Elio.

"Tui told me something else, Elio... He told me that to complete my waterbending training, I would have to go home. Which means soon, we may have to separate." She informed him. Elio silently nodded.

"...I understand." He said sadly, squeezing her hand.

Elio let his hand slip out of Cindra's. He stood up and sighed, brushing hair back with his hand as he walked back into his tent. He silently crawled inside and closed it. Cindra stood up as well, putting out the fire before going back into her own tent...


	21. The Night Calls For Blood

Looking all around them, this forest that Elio and Cindra were walking through had much more natural beauty to it than the swamp did. There was nothing unsettling about these thick trees with their colorful leaves hanging high above them.

"This place is really beautiful. Don't you think so, Elio?" Cindra asked, looking around with a pleasant smile on her face.

"The leaves are really pretty," Elio said, nodding in agreement. "Definitely better than the swamp." He added.

"Oh yeah! Definitely!" Cindra giggled.

"I will admit," He said. "These are the parts of the Earth Kingdom that I do actually love. You don't see natural beauty like this anywhere else in the world."

"That is very true. Even despite all the trouble it's given us, when I go home I'm going to tell everyone about the places like this that we saw." She decided, giggling lightly to herself.

"Heheh, you must be looking forward to going home." He said with a chuckle.

"O-Oh, I wasn't trying to..." Cindra stuttered, her tone quickly turning apologetic. However, Elio simply managed a kind smile towards her.

"It's okay. I'm happy for you. You have every reason to look forward to being back home. Say hi to your folks for me when you get there." He joked lightly. Cindra laughed.

"You know what? I probably will! I can't even imagine what they'll say when I tell them I became best friends with a firebender."

"Just try not to make me look bad." He joked.

Elio and Cindra paused, the conversation coming to a halt. They looked ahead of them and saw the remains of an abandoned city just down the hill. It seemed that something had leveled the town, knocking down structures and breaking down the walls around it.

"Oh wow... What happened there?" Cindra wondered aloud as they made their way down towards it. Elio pulled out his map and looked at it.

"It's hard to say. Doesn't look like a Fire Nation siege. No signs of fire... This town's on the map. Look, see here? We're right here moving upwards." Elio pointed out their location on the map.

"You're right... But if the Fire Nation didn't destroy this town, what did?" She wondered aloud.

"I don't know. But let's take a look around. Maybe we can find some supplies in the wreckage?" He suggested.

Elio and Cindra made their way through the crumbled remains of the town, stepping on broken pieces of walls to peek inside of the structures that were still standing. It appeared that the entire town had been wiped clean of any resources that could help them.

"People have been through this area before. Anything that we might've been able to use; it's long gone." Elio said to Cindra.

"Elio... Your friend is back!" Cindra realized, pointing towards Cassian's squad coming towards the town on their komodo rhinos. Elio's eyes widened and he pulled out his staff.

"Get ready! We'll use the buildings as cover!" Elio said to her. Cindra opened her water pouch and bent the water out. They both were ready to fight.

However, before Cassian and his squad could enter into the vicinity of the ruined town, a flurry of arrows suddenly came flying at them from the side. Their armor protected them, however, their animals were frightened by the sudden attack.

Elio and Cindra watched as a group came rushing out of the trees with weapons. As the firebenders twisted their bodies awkwardly to shoot fireballs at them, they all sidestepped the attacks and began climbing on top of the komodo rhinos to take the men down.

"Is that backup?" Elio said in confusion.

"We gotta help them! Drive off those guys!" Cindra exclaimed, rushing forward to join the fight. Elio looked around in confusion, wondering where all of these fighters were coming from. However, he took firm hold of his staff and rushed in to help as well.

Cindra went on the offensive, bending her water into the nearest rider and knocking him off of his rider. Cassian himself shot a huge fireball directly at her. Cindra rolled to the side, stumbling to her feet and throwing water at him. Cassian evaporated the water with an upwards punch.

She hurried towards him, bringing the water around with her left hand. She caught Cassian off-guard by hitting him from behind. The water crashed into the back of his head. Cindra closed her hand, freezing the water around him. With her other hand, she pushed ice around his head away, sending him flying back.

Cassian slammed headfirst into the ground, the ice around his head breaking on impact. He was slow to get up from this fall. He looked around and saw that his men were being overtaken. They were outnumbered and at a disadvantage in this forest.

Elio looked to his left and saw that one of these mysterious allies were struggling against a Fire Nation soldier. Elio quickly ran over to assist, swinging his staff at the soldier. The soldier ducked under his attack, but this allowed the other person to kick the soldier in the chest.

As the soldier stumbled backwards, Elio hit him with a few quick hits from his staff. The soldier shot fire at him. Elio spun his staff to block the fire. Elio's ally spun around him, using two batons to hit him a few quick times. Elio swept the soldier's legs out with the staff, and his ally delivered the knockout blow.

"Darn it! Retreat! Everyone fall back!" Cassian growled angrily, jumping on top of his komodo rhino and signaling the retreat. All of his men quickly began to fall back, using their fire protectively as a number of men from the group drove them away.

"You're pretty handy with that staff!" Elio's ally said to him as they watched Cassian's men retreat. It was a girl's voice speaking back to him. He turned back towards her and nodded.

"You too with those batons. Thank you for the assist. We would've had a tougher time dealing with them on our own." He thanked her with a faint chuckle. The girl, whose face was covered by a mask, tilted her head oddly.

"Elio? Is that you?" She asked. Elio's eyebrows furrowed at the sound of his name.

"You know me?"

"I do," She answered, removing her mask. Immediately, her face was familiar to Elio, but he couldn't remember her name right away. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Wait... I remember you. We worked together at the Beifong residence... It starts with an A..." Elio racked his brain trying to remember her name. She shook her head and laughed at him.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. It's Autumn!" She said.

"Autumn! Right! I'm such an idiot. What are you doing all the way out here?" He asked.

"Hey, I asked first!" She laughed again...

"Hey, you," Cindra turned her head towards the guy speaking to her. He was skinny and carried a bow and arrow. He put his bow away as he approached her. "Nice job with your bending. Way to go straight for the leader. You made things way easier for us."

"You definitely did the same for us," Cindra chuckled. "My name is Cindra. What's yours?" She asked.

"Sen," He shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I assume you and your friend there are the reason why a Fire Nation squad came riding through here?" He presumed, gesturing towards Elio.

"Yeah, pretty much. They've been on our tail lately."

"Well, any enemy of the Fire Nation is a friend of ours. You should come with us back to our hideout. You both will be safe there." He invited.

"Hey, Sen, look who it is!" Autumn called, pulling Elio over. Sen's eyes widened and he chuckled in shock upon seeing Elio.

"No way. Long time no see, Elio."

"Yeah, no kidding, Sen. Autumn tells me that you're the leader of this little ragtag group?" He asked. Sen nodded, resting his hand on his hip.

"That's right. I'm surprised to see you out here. This your girlfriend?" Sen asked, gesturing to Cindra.

"Oh no, we're not dating or anything. But we are traveling together." Cindra answered.

"Interesting. Well both of you follow us. We'll show you our base of operations." Sen invited, leading the walk back to the hideout. Cindra fell in step next to Elio again.

"So you know these guys?" She asked him.

"I know Autumn and I know Sen. I don't know who the rest of these kids are." Elio answered, observing that most of the people in this group seemed to be younger.

"See, you never tell me anything! Why didn't you tell me that you _also_ knew people who were in this, like, revolution group?" She teased him.

"Because when I met them, they were just workers for hire."

Sen led Elio and Cindra up into their hideout: a series of wooden homes built up high in the trees. Using a series of pulley ropes to get to the top, they were soon led into a series of connected platforms with houses and places to rest on them.

"Wow, this is impressive!" Cindra laughed.

"I've never seen anything like it. How did you all do this?" Elio asked.

"I don't know," Sen answered. "The three of us all joined this group of Freedom Fighters later on after these settlements were already built. But it's what we call home; it's been our home for the past month now."

"Wow. So what's the story there? How'd the three of you end up here?" Elio asked curiously.

"That's a story best discussed over dinner. For now, let's get you two settled in. Autumn, why don't you show the two of them to one of the empty houses?" Sen suggested.

"Sure thing! Come on, Elio, you're gonna love the arrangements we got up here!" She giggled, grabbing Elio and pulling him along. Cindra rolled her eyes and followed too.

Autumn led Elio and Cindra across a few bridges to the empty house that was available to them. As they made their way there, they looked around at the scale of the hideout. It was both impressive how much space there was and sad to see so many displaced people in one location.

"Here you go," Autumn said cheerfully as she led them both into the home. "There's cots for the both of you. You can set your stuff down, relax. We'll get you some blankets for the night. You can stay as long as you need to!" She smiled.

"Thank you, Autumn. I'm sure we'll be a lot better off up here." Elio said appreciatively.

"You definitely will! The Fire Nation hasn't found us yet."

"This is a clever hideout," Cindra complimented. "How come there's so many kids here?" She asked.

"They've all had their lives uprooted by the Fire Nation. Some lost their families, their homes." Autumn answered in a more serious tone.

"I see... And what about you? You, Sen, Tay. How'd you three end up a part of all this?" Elio asked curiously.

"That's a long story. We'll talk about it over dinner... What about you, Elio? What're you doing getting chased by a Fire Nation squad?" Autumn asked.

"I guess we'll talk about it over dinner, huh?" Cindra interrupted, "If you don't mind, Autumn, we need to get settled in. We'll catch up with you later."

"Oh okay! Looking forward to it!" Autumn smiled at them and waved as she turned and walked away.

"What was that about?" Elio asked, looking at Cindra. She rolled her eyes again.

"She was just getting on my nerves. 'Oh Elio, it's so good to see you! Oh Elio, you're gonna love it here! Oh Elio!'" She mimicked her mockingly, pretending to drape herself over his shoulders. Elio laughed and shook his head.

"It was not that bad, was it?"

"You're so clueless, Elio." She rolled her eyes and dropped her stuff on one of the cots, unpacking a bit and getting comfortable.

"Almost sounds like you're jealous." Elio joked, throwing his bags on another cot and doing the same thing.

"You trying to get hit?"

"Just kidding." Elio chuckled. Cindra shook her head and smiled a bit.

"Anyways, besides all that, it'll be nice to rest easy and not have to worry about being found. This is probably the safest place for us right now."

"I don't know about that, but it's nice to know that we're not completely alone at this present moment. We'll see how it goes at dinner." Elio said...

Soon dinnertime came around. Elio and Cindra changed into casual clothing and joined the others at a long table. As food was distributed to everyone, Freedom Fighters took their seats at the table, around the table, or atop the surrounding branches. Elio and Cindra sat with Sen and Autumn at the head of the table.

"Well well, as I live and breathe! How're you doing, little buddy?" Tay, Sen's older brother, laughed cheerfully as he joined them at the table. Elio stood up and greeted him by extending his hand out. Tay pulled him in for a hug.

"Whoa! Haha, it's good to see you too, Tay. How've you been?" Elio asked as he pulled out of Tay's bear hug.

"Not too bad, kid, not too bad! What about you? You're looking well!"

"I am well, thank you. Oh, Tay, this is Cindra, my partner."

"Nice to meet you." Cindra waved and smiled.

"Nice to meet you too! How'd a pretty girl like you end up alongside this clown?" Tay teasingly gestured to Elio.

"Haha, it just sort of happened. We ended up in a situation where we both would've died unless we worked together. After that, we decided to just keep on traveling together." Cindra summarized very generally.

"Nice. You have each other's backs. I respect that." Sen complimented.

"It's mutually beneficial," Elio agreed with a nod. "And what about you three? It looks like you all stayed together too." He observed.

"Yep! The three of us got each other's backs same as you." Tay said with a pleasant smile.

"So what happened to you guys? Did you get tired of working freelance every day?" Elio asked curiously. Right away, their faces all dropped down and became more serious.

"The business we worked for closed down. The Fire Nation came through and seized control of some of the town. They were eventually driven out, but we lost our jobs because of it." Autumn explained.

"Oh, I see..." Elio said quietly.

"After that day happened, I realized something: we couldn't keep relying on other people to give us the things we needed. So even though the Beifongs were willing to help with resupply, I voted that we take matters into our own hands." Sen continued.

"We organized an attack on the Fire Nation soldiers that were responsible for messing our town up. That's when Jet and his Freedom Fighters found and recruited us." Tay said.

"Jet? Who's Jet?" Cindra asked.

"The former leader of the group." Autumn answered.

"He was getting ready to leave and start anew in Ba Sing Se. I volunteered to take over the group and continue the work. So now I run things around here." Sen finished the story.

"Wow. Well, you guys are doing a good job of keeping the Fire Nation away." Cindra complimented.

"We're doing our best. Our territory is small, but at least we have some land to claim that the Fire Nation is staying out of." Autumn said with an optimistic smile.

"We're doing a better job than Jet ever did. His leadership was good, but he didn't have a good head on his shoulders. This way, the only ones getting hurt are the Fire Nation... Speaking of the Fire Nation, why were they chasing the two of you?" Sen asked curiously.

"Oh! Well, you see..." Elio tried to come up with an explanation that wouldn't arouse suspicion, but he found that to be difficult. However, Cindra spoke up for him.

"It's because of me. I'm a waterbender trying to get back home to the Northern Water Tribe. The Fire Nation has been trying to suppress all other bending types. They just want one less waterbender in the world." She explained.

"Oh wow." Autumn said in astonishment.

"We may have also caused a little trouble with a particular squadron while we were on the run." Elio added to explain why they were being chased. The three of them all chuckled.

"Looks like a lot has happened to you too since we last met, Elio," Tay commented. "But glad you're safe. And helping Cindra out."

"Yeah! Can we see a little waterbending?" Autumn requested excitedly. Cindra giggled and nodded.

"Sure. Watch this."

Cindra bent the water out of her cup and traced it through the air with her finger, making it spiral around and fly over the table before it went back into her cup. She took a sip and smiled. The three of them all lightly clapped their hands.

"Impressive. Too bad you've got your own destination in mind. You'd be a huge help to our cause." Sen commented.

"Either way, hope you make it home. Your bending's really cool." Autumn complimented.

"Thank you!" Cindra grinned proudly.

"Sen, sir, a word please." Another boy walked to the head of the table. Sen nodded and stood up.

"Excuse me, please," Sen nodded to them before stepping aside to speak to this scout. Once they were out of earshot, Sen spoke again.

"What's up, Boku?" He asked.

"I went through our guests' belongings as you requested. I found something serious in the guy with the staff's bag." Boku said with a serious expression.

Boku motioned for Sen to lean in. Sen leaned forward, and Boku whispered his findings in his ear. Sen's eyes widened in shock. He leaned back and swallowed nervously then nodded. He silently turned back and made his way to the head of the table.

"Forgive me. My scout, Boku, just wanted to give me the rundown of a few things we managed to snag off of that Fire Nation squad today." Sen explained.

"It's no problem! Tay was just telling me about how you all met Elio. I'm sorry that you all lost your work." Cindra said.

"Yeah," Elio agreed. "Autumn, I remember you said it was just you and your mom before. How is she?" He asked her.

"She's doing fine. She's staying with us in one of the huts. She sometimes makes our bread." Autumn answered him. Elio nodded and sighed in relief.

"That's good to hear."

"Sorry to cut off the conversation, but the sun is setting now. When night comes, it's lights out for everyone. That way our location stays concealed." Sen said.

"Alright, that's fine. We'll go and get our rest for the night." Elio said as he and Cindra stood up.

"Thank you for the meal." She said politely.

"You're welcome! Rest easy!" Tay said, waving to them as they walked away.

"Oh, and Elio," Sen spoke up. Elio stopped and turned around. "You can keep a torch inside of your hut for light. Just be careful with the fire. Wouldn't want your hut to burn down while you sleep." He said.

"Right, yeah," Elio agreed with a nod. "Goodnight, everyone."

Elio and Cindra made their way back into their hut. Cindra lit up the torch inside. They both laid back on their cots, able to breathe deeply and finally relax.

"Your friends are pretty nice." Cindra commented.

"Weren't you complaining about Autumn earlier though?" Elio teased her.

"She grew on me a little bit. But _besides that_ , they seem pretty alright. I'm sure you four must've had fun together."

"It was fun while it was lasted," Elio agreed. "Well I don't know about you, but I'm going to try and sleep in before we get back on the road tomorrow. Goodnight, Cindra."

"Goodnight, Elio."

Nighttime rose over the treetops. After a few hours, both Elio and Cindra were fast asleep. Since they were both heavy sleepers, neither of them heard the cautious footsteps tip-toeing into their hut nor the sound of the torch being put out.

It wasn't until Elio felt hands on him that he woke up suddenly, but he was quickly knocked out before he could do anything...

When he came to, he found himself tied up with rope with his hands behind his back. He was being dragged across the ground by someone big. His mouth was gagged, preventing him from speaking. He grunted and tried to pull himself free.

"Sen, he's awake." He heard Tay's voice say. Elio felt someone kick him in the back.

"Try anything, and I'll slit your throat right here." Sen threatened him...

Meanwhile, back in the hut, Cindra had woken up but was trying to get back to sleep. She wasn't used to sleeping in a cot. She turned onto her side and realized that the torch had gone out when it wasn't supposed to. She rubbed her eyes and groaned.

"Hey, Elio, you asleep? Could you reignite the torch, please?" She requested.

When no response came, she got to her feet unhappily and lit the torch herself with two spark rocks. She turned back around to get back in bed, but that's when she noticed that Elio was missing. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she grabbed her water pouch and Elio's staff before going outside to find him...

Elio was tossed onto the ground in front of a cliff. The full light of the moon allowed him to turn back around and see his captors: Sen, Tay, and a number of older boys with torches in their hands. He moved his jaw side to side, getting the gag out of his mouth.

"Pheh! What're you doing?!" Elio demanded.

"You've been lying to us, Elio. You've been Fire Nation this whole time, you rat!" Sen growled, kicking him in the stomach. He groaned in pain and turned onto his stomach.

"This doesn't feel right, Sen," Tay said worriedly. "He may be Fire Nation, but how do we know that he's lying to us?" He asked.

"What's rule number one around here, Tay?" Sen asked to remind him.

"Never trust a firebender." Everyone said. Sen grabbed Elio by the collar of his shirt, making him sit up.

"So what is it, Elio? Are you a spy? What's the game plan here?" He questioned him.

"I'm not a spy, you idiot! I'm just trying to get to Ba Sing Se."

"Oh, so our hideout is just one little stop on your conquest plan?"

"I'm not with the army, Sen! I ran away! Is that what you want to hear? I ran away!" He yelled defensively.

Sen pushed him onto his back and stood up. He snapped his fingers and held his hand out behind him. One of the boys ran up next to him and handed him a knife. Sen sighed and shook his head.

"So either you're a liar or a coward. Either way, I can't have you anywhere near my camp." Sen said.

"Then let me go. Believe me, I will leave right now and never come back." Elio grunted.

"Can't do that either, Elio... I've seen what the Fire Nation does to people. For 100 years they've been hammering away at the world, and I've watched people die fighting them or submit to their rule. They will wipe out anyone who stands in their way without a second thought.

"It's time that their own philosophy be used against them. It's because of your people that earthbenders are being put in prison camps, and there are no airbenders left in the world... I think what the world could really use is less firebenders." Sen concluded.

Sen stepped over Elio, getting ready to kill him. Elio struggled against the rope, desperately trying to burn through them. As he squirmed, Sen dropped down to one knee on top of him to keep him from moving. Sen raised his knife, but then his hand froze in place.

"Ah...what?!" Sen looked at his hand and realized that ice had frozen around his wrist. He was suddenly pulled off of Elio by a strong, unseen force. He crashed on the ground in front of Cindra.

"Hands off my friend." Cindra said, raising her hands up again. She created a protective ball of water around herself and made her way to Elio.

"You came just in time." Elio said with a sigh of relief.

"Sorry I didn't realize sooner."

"So you defected too. I was hoping that you were just unaware of Elio's true identity." Sen said as he stood up.

"Elio is my friend! I trust him with my life! And I don't expect you to understand that because you're a close-minded, crazy psychopath. But if you come any closer, I _will_ protect him." Cindra vowed and threatened, raising her hands again.

However, the water she was bending suddenly fell out of her control and crashed to the ground. A red hue suddenly washed over them. Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they looked up into the sky. Cindra and Elio turned and looked back to see that the moon had turned dark red.

"Oh no..." Cindra said softly, knowing what this meant. The Fire Nation had somehow reached the ocean and moon spirits.

"That's the Fire Nation! It has to be! Don't you see?! We can hold no compassion for the enemy! They hold no compassion for us!" Sen shouted. Everyone looked at each other fearfully.

"Do you know what this is, Cindra?" Elio asked, looking up at her.

"It is the Fire Nation. He is right about that." Cindra confirmed.

"This conversation is over! Step away from him or we will be forced to attack!" Sen threatened. Cindra swallowed nervously. Even if Elio could get free, they were outnumbered.

The moon suddenly turned normal again. Everyone looked up again in confusion. Cindra's face lightened up with relief, thinking that the Fire Nation had turned back. However, her hope was quickly shattered when the moon all at once disappeared from the sky. Everything became seemingly black and white.

"No!" Cindra cried out sadly. She raised her hands to bend, but there was nothing she could do. Without the moon, she had no power.

Her eyes began to tear up now that she had lost this part of her. But she wiped her eyes and held up Elio's staff instead.

"Don't come any closer." She said in a low, shaky voice.

"Take them out!" Sen ordered. Though they were hesitant, three boys advanced forward with their weapons.

Cindra spun the staff around once and jabbed at one of them. As he jumped back, Cindra spun and swung the staff into a second boy. He fell to the ground. A third boy attempted to slash Cindra with his sword. She spun the staff in a half-circle to block the attack before whacking him on the head.

"Enough playing around!" Sen growled, advancing with his knife to join the fight. Finally, Elio was able to get his hands loose enough to burn through the rope. He twisted his body awkwardly and shot a fireball at Sen, forcing him to jump sideways to avoid it.

"Don't even think about it, Sen!" Elio warned, getting himself free of the rope.

As he pulled the ropes off his feet, one of Cindra's opponents rushed to stab him. Elio spun on his back and kicked the boy's feet out from under him. He stepped on his wrist to stop him from using the knife. He pulled the rest of the rope off of him.

Sen rushed to Elio and lunged at him with the knife. Elio sidestepped the attacks, doing his best to remain calm. As Sen stumbled off-balance, Elio balled his fist and was ready to strike him between the ribs.

However, Tay quickly punched him to the ground before he could. He didn't seem to want to fight, but he had to come to his little brother's defense. Elio groaned before regaining his bearings and rolling away.

Cindra found that more of the boys were beginning to join the fight. She was doing her best to keep them away, but she wasn't as skilled or agile as Elio was. The best she could do was keep them at a distance, "We gotta get out of here now, Elio!" She shouted at him.

"I know!" Elio got to his feet and created a ring of fire around the both of them. He slowly spread it out around them, forcing their attackers to step backwards, "Grab onto me, Cindra! This is gonna be a bumpy ride!"

Cindra grabbed onto Elio, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Elio turned and wrapped one arm around her. He twisted his body to lean backwards, and with one loud grunt he launched both of them into the air. They crashed through branches and leaves, but this put a good distance away from them.

"After them!" Sen yelled. The boys ran ahead, but Tay put his hand on Sen's shoulder.

"Maybe we should let them go. No one has to die tonight." He urged. Sen, however, shook off his brother's hand.

"He does."

Elio and Cindra crashed awkwardly onto the ground. They both scrambled to their feet and began running back towards the hideout. They gripped each other's hands tightly as they sprinted through the trees.

"I can't waterbend without the moon, Elio! The Fire Nation must have killed the moon spirit!" Cindra said.

"Killed the moon spirit? Is that even possible?!"

"It is! How're we gonna get out of here?!"

"Take the trail down towards the river, where we were gonna go in the morning! Stay between the trees! Go!" Elio shouted, letting go of Cindra's hand.

"What about you?!"

"I'm going back for our supplies!" Elio said as the hideout came into view.

He and Cindra split up. She ran to the left towards the trail while Elio rushed straight for the hideout. Cindra grabbed onto the staff tightly with both hands, keeping between the trees just as Elio had instructed. As she ran, tears started to fill her eyes again...

Elio ran up underneath the hideout. He used another fire jump to launch himself by their hut. He flipped sideways and landed with a stumble. He ran inside and grabbed both of their things. Once he had everything, he rushed outside only to find Autumn with her batons in her hands.

"Stop! You... Elio?" She realized it was him and her arms fell. Elio swallowed.

"Autumn... Did you know that they were going to attack us? Did you know they were going to execute me?" He questioned. Autumn's eyebrows furrowed.

"What're you talking about? Elio...was that you firebending just now?" She asked.

"It was. I'm sorry, Autumn, I have to go. They're after me." Elio said before jumping off of the bridge, using his fire to soften his landing. Autumn's eyes widened, and she stood there not knowing what to do...

Elio hurried down the trail. He could hear Sen and his men yelling behind them, waking up the rest of the camp. He groaned as his legs started to sting from running. He forced himself to continue, taking in deep breaths and quickening his pace.

"Cindra! Cindra!" He shouted to her as he saw her waiting for him by the river. They embraced and hugged each other quickly.

"Elio! Come on, we gotta run!" Cindra said, grabbing her things off of him and taking his hand.

However, before they could continue running away, arrows suddenly whizzed past them. They were forced to come to a stop as Sen and the rest of the camp came around them. Elio began to create fire, ready to defend them both.

"It's the end of the line for you both! You're all alone now! Surrender, and I'll consider letting your girlfriend go!" Sen shouted at him.

"Not a chance!" Cindra shouted back at him.

"Are you sure?" Elio asked, looking back at her.

"We're both gonna make it." She said, doing her best to sound confident and sure of this. Elio swallowed and nodded.

"You heard her, Sen. Let us leave! I don't want to have to hurt anyone!"

"Yes, I think you do," Sen said, drawing his bow and arrow. "Fire!" He ordered.

A flurry of arrows were shot directly at them. Time seemed to move in slow-motion as Elio tried to grab Cindra and pull her into the river behind them. As they fell back, Cindra brought her hands up to shield herself. Water from the river came up in front of them, freezing over and stopping the arrows.

They both crashed into the water and came up immediately. They saw the ice wall and were confused, but they looked up to see that the full moon was back in its place in the sky. Cindra gasped happily at the sight of it. Elio and Cindra climbed out of the river.

"Enough with the threats! This is your last warning!" Cindra shouted. She brought out a huge amount of water from the river, creating two large swirling pathways in the air. Elio created fire in his hands, but he too was in awe at this display of Cindra's newfound skill.

"Why are you helping him?! He's Fire Nation! You should be on our side!" Sen yelled.

"He may be Fire Nation, but he's a better man than the rest of you combined!" Cindra shouted back.

"Cindra, I'm going to evaporate the water with my fire. We can create enough steam to shield our escape." Elio said quietly to her.

"Do it." She nodded.

At the same time, Elio shot a huge fireball into the water as Cindra brought it all together in front of them. A huge burst of steam came up, creating a wall that blocked their vision. Elio and Cindra grabbed each other's hands and began to run again.

"Let's hurry before they realize what we're doing!" Elio said.

"I got a better idea!" Cindra said, turning to the river.

She lifted up some water and created a boat out of ice. She molded it in a matter of seconds. Both of them hopped inside, and Cindra used her waterbending to push them quickly down the river.

"Cindra, you're a genius!" Elio laughed.

"I am pretty great, I know." She said with a proud smile. She looked up towards the full moon with a grateful expression and sighed in relief.

"Thank you for having my back. I would've died if you hadn't realized in time." Elio admitted.

"You're welcome, Elio. We need each other after all. If anyone around here is gonna kill you, it's gonna be me." Cindra joked. Elio chuckled and hugged her tightly.

"Same." He said with a chuckle.

Cindra smiled and hugged him back. She rubbed the back of his head. The fact that they had both made it out alive felt like a miracle, and it was a huge relief to know that they could truly count on each other. She sighed in relief and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Alright, buddy, I need my arms to waterbend us out of here." She said. Elio chuckled and let her go, sitting back in the boat.

"Yeah, let's get out of here."


	22. Agni Kai

It was a rough night for both Elio and Cindra. After last night's dangerous, emotionally turbulent events, they were both forced to sleep heavily on the ground downstream from where they were.

When Elio woke up and washed his face in the river, he found that Cindra was already awake and sitting alone with her feet in the water. She waved him over. He brushed his hair back and walked over to sit with her.

"Hey, Cindra. What're you doing up already?" He asked.

"I had a tough time sleeping last night. I woke up a while ago and couldn't go back to sleep... I've been thinking."

"About last night? And what happened with the moon?" Elio asked. Cindra nodded.

"Yeah... Tui told me to watch for a sign. You saw it too, Elio. The moon turned _red._ And it was _gone_! It just disappeared! And when it disappeared, I couldn't bend; that has to be what he was talking about." She said.

"Yeah. Honestly, what else could it be? That was crazy." He agreed. He was still hesitant to regard the spirit world as real, but even he couldn't deny what he had seen.

"Yeah. I think that it's time for me to start heading home, Elio. I'll need to start making my way north." She said. Elio nodded and sighed.

"Yeah, you're probably right... Well, we'll eat our breakfast and start heading up." He said.

"No," Cindra looked at him. "You should continue going up toward Ba Sing Se. You still have Cassian and his men after you." She pointed out.

"I'm not letting you go alone, Cindra," Elio said. "Ba Sing Se will still be waiting for me when you're gone. Besides, you need the map to know where you're going." He pointed out. Cindra looked down and smiled sadly.

"Yeah, that's true... Yeah, you're right. I just didn't want to endanger you unnecessarily. You've already gone through so much." She said.

"You're gonna be in danger now too. So until you're on a boat sailing to the North Pole, I'm gonna stick by you just like you've stuck by me." He decided. She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Elio."

"No need to get sappy on me," He said with a chuckle, tapping her on the arm with his fist before getting up. "I'll grab us some food so we can get going."

So Elio and Cindra ate their breakfast and immediately began their trek to the northernmost part of the Earth Kingdom. After using their map to determine the most direct route to the north beach, they crossed over the river and walked through the trees.

It wasn't long before the two of them reached a town. However, unfortunately for them, it was controlled by the Fire Nation. The two of them warily looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Should we just keep moving?" Cindra asked. Elio looked at the map again.

"We shouldn't stop, but we have to pass through to the other side of this town to keep on the path." He answered. Cindra swallowed nervously.

"Okay... Well, hoods on. We'll just try to be inconspicuous."

Elio and Cindra put on their hoods, sticking close to each other as they made their way through town. It was a quiet afternoon in town, but they could see Fire Nation soldiers randomly posted around town, or just casually walking up and down the streets.

"This place is crawling with soldiers." Cindra said quietly to Elio.

"Yeah," He nervously agreed, his eyes scanning around cautiously. "Just keep your head down. We're almost there." He said.

"Hey, you two!" A soldier's voice called out.

The two of them froze and slowly turned around. They saw a soldier was stopping two men with a big cart full of vegetables. They sighed in relief and looked at each other. However, Elio's eyes widened at the sight of a man in uniform coming up right behind Cindra.

"Cindra!" He exclaimed, but it was too late. The soldier grabbed Cindra and pulled her into a choke hold, pressing his fist against her head. She shrieked and tried to pull herself free. Elio held his hands out.

"Let her go, Cassian!" Elio shouted. Cassian tightened his grip on Cindra, glaring angrily at Elio.

"You've slipped away from me for the last time, Elio!" He growled, keeping Cindra in place. Realizing who was holding her captive, she stopped struggling as much so she wouldn't get a fireball through her head.

"Let her go, Cassian! This is between you and me. She's not part of this." He said.

"Oh ho, I disagree. She became a part of this as soon as she started helping you run. I intend to take you both in. So will you come quietly, or will I have to kill your pretty girlfriend? Or better yet, why don't you run away? That seems to be your new solution to real problems." Cassian taunted.

Elio swallowed nervously. His eyes scanned around again. Fire Nation soldiers were starting to slowly surround them. Regular citizens were also watching. Elio removed his hood. He recalled what Rala had said; he needed to face this head-on.

"Cassian... I know that it's me you want. So face me. Agni Kai at sunset." He challenged. Cassian scoffed.

"An Agni Kai is meant to be on the grounds of honor. You have no honor to uphold, you rat!" He spat at him.

"But I have honor to regain. You're right, I did run away. But I am willing to face you one-on-one, the way I know you want it. Just promise me you won't hurt Cindra."

"Elio, don't!" Cindra shouted. Cassian roughly pulled her backwards to silence her.

"Urgh!" Cassian grunted angrily, looking around him. All eyes were on them. Elio was issuing a formal challenge, and Cassian had his own honor to uphold, not to mention defending the honor of Elio's family, which Elio smeared when he ran away.

"Very well, Elio. Agni Kai it is. But you both will be staying in my camp with my men until the fight. And when I win, I will take you both as prisoner." He agreed before letting Cindra go. Cindra immediately ran to Elio, ready to fight.

"Deal," Elio said. He held his arm up in front of Cindra and spoke softly to her. "Don't attack them. I have to do this,"

"Promise me this, Cassian. Cindra won't be hurt while we're in your care. Either that or we make this ugly." He stipulated.

"Deal. Follow me." Cassian motioned for them to follow. Several soldiers came to escort Elio and Cindra behind Cassian.

They were taken to Cassian's camp outside of town. Cassian ordered for them to be taken into his personal tent where they would not be touched. Once they were inside, Cassian stood at the entrance of the tent with his hands behind his back.

"You both will remain here until it's time. If you try to escape, my men are ordered to burn you to the ground on sight." Cassian warned them.

"We're not running, Cassian. Not this time." Elio said, standing before him. Cassian scoffed and shook his head.

"Just be glad there were witnesses, Elio. You don't deserve to stand there and challenge me." He insulted before turning and stepping out of the tent.

"What are you doing?!" Cindra growled, walking in front of Elio and shaking him, "We could've gotten out of there!" She said.

"There were too many men, Cindra," Elio shook his head. "Besides, I need to face Cassian. It was bound to happen sooner or later. At least this way, it will be one-on-one: equal grounds."

"Is that what this is? Okay, so what is an Agni Kai? A fight?" Cindra asked. Elio nodded.

"Yeah. It's a one-on-one firebending duel. At sunset, we'll walk out to open ground away from anyone else. It'll just be me and him. He might have one man with him to spectate the match. You'll be my spectator. It'll be your job to back me up if Cassian tries to break any rules." He explained.

"Oh... Ohh! That's perfect! Then we can just make a break for it, right?" Cindra asked. Elio shook his head.

"No. I'm going to fight Cassian. If I run away, he will make sure that the entire Fire Nation military knows our names."

"What about all our stuff? Even if you were to win, I doubt Cassian will let us just walk away." She asked.

"I don't know yet... We'll figure something out. But we will get out of this." Elio said, putting his hands on her shoulders and doing his best to sound reassuring. Truthfully, he wanted to believe that they would get out of this, but he had no idea how.

"Okay..." Cindra said nervously. They both sat down. "So what are the rules of an Agni Kai?" She asked.

"The two of us will meet in open ground at sunset. We'll begin with our backs to each other on opposite sides of the field. We'll turn to each other. The duel requires that neither of us wear armor; just pants. When the sign is given, the fight will start."

"How do you win?" She asked.

"One of us has to burn the other somewhere. It doesn't matter where really. It is possible to yield too. But with how vicious the Fire Nation is, sometimes Agni Kais are just a fight to the death. If Cassian gets the upper hand on me, he may decide to fatally wound me." Elio warned.

"Oh gosh..." Cindra shuddered at the thought. "Can you be disqualified in any way?"

"By running away, forfeiting, or stepping outside of the dueling ground. If I were to knock Cassian out of bounds, that would count as a win, but it wouldn't be a satisfying enough win."

"What will he do if you win?" Cindra asked.

"I don't know... In his mind, he's not going to lose. It's not a possibility he's willing to accept. So if I do manage to best him, you'll need to be ready to grab me and run." Elio said.

"Got it. But not until you've won." She said.

"Right... If I do lose, Cindra, I want you to run, okay? Don't save me. If I can, I will try to catch up with you." Elio instructed. Cindra's eyes widened.

"What?! No! Weren't you just talking about how I stick by you and you stick by me? Always?!" She reminded him. Elio nodded.

"Yes, but this is different. This is Fire Nation sacred tradition. Win or lose, the results have to be indisputable. Agni Kais are almost like law." He explained to her.

"But this is the Fire Nation we're talking about, Elio! You don't even believe in this stuff!" She argued.

"I don't believe in what the Fire Nation is doing. But I am still a citizen. The Fire Nation is in my blood. So up until a certain point, yes I do believe in this stuff. Promise me that you won't interfere with this fight." Elio requested.

Cindra folded her arms and exhaled heavily. She didn't want to agree to this. It made no sense to her. But clearly for Elio, this meant something deeper to him. In her mind, she was already resolved to do what she could to make sure they would escape this together.

"Fine. I promise. But as soon as I see an opportunity, I'm going to bail you out." Cindra said.

"Okay." Elio nodded and sighed.

"Is this really that important to you, Elio?" Cindra asked, being softened by Elio's heavy expression. He looked up at her and nodded.

"Yes... This is incredibly personal to me. Even if I don't really wanna do this, it's something that needs to be done." He answered in full seriousness.

Some time later, Cassian entered into his tent. Elio and Cindra were sitting together and eating. The silence was full of tension as Cassian walked to his bag and sifted through it.

"Has anyone touched you since I've been gone?" He asked.

"No. We've been left alone." Elio answered.

"Alright," He nodded. "I've ordered that the town's main road be cleared out for our fight. My subordinate will handle any fires we may cause."

"Good," Elio nodded. He hesitated to speak further, but he stood up. "Cassian... I'm really sorry that it's come to this. I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Save it, Elio. You made your decision, and now you have to deal with the consequences. _This_ is one of those consequences." Cassian said with a frustrated exhale, gesturing back and forth between them.

"You're right about that. But still, I am sorry. I know that this must hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Cassian scoffed, standing up now, "What about your _family,_ Elio? Did you think about what you've done to them? Hmm? Have you given them _any thought_ since you turned your back on our whole nation?" He raised his voice at him.

"Every day," Elio answered with a sigh. "Are they doing okay?"

"Tch," Cassian shook his head. "They're still figuring out how to process the blatant dishonor that you've left them with. Your own father wrote to me to tell me what you did. I'm surprised he's even willing to mention you by name!"

Elio sighed sadly, "I know that you wouldn't understand, Cassian, but I had to do this."

"You 'had to do this'," Cassian repeated. "No, all you 'had to do' was face your father like a real man! You and I both knew that you didn't want to join the military, but you never really spoke to him like I told you to, did you?" He questioned.

"No." Elio admitted.

"So you lied to me the last time we spoke," Cassian reminded him. "Words can't describe how shocked and disgusted I was when I got that letter from your father telling me what you did, Elio. If it weren't for this fight, I could kill you right now." He threatened, getting in Elio's face.

Cindra quickly reached for her water pouch, ready to fight. However, Elio held his hand up again to stop Cindra from attacking. He stared back at Cassian, not backing down.

"I really did try to pursue what I wanted, Cassian. For a short period of time, I had what I wanted. And I was willing to do it on my own in a disgraced state... But even when I lost my dream, I didn't lose my morals. You and I both know the Fire Nation has done many questionable things, to put it lightly." He argued.

"This is war, Elio! What do you expect?!" Cassian shouted.

"It's our war, Cassian! The Fire Nation started it! We started it! You've seen it for yourself! The world hates us, and you're really going to stand here and tell me that they have no reason to?" Elio questioned.

"There's been plenty of hatred and blame to go around for centuries, Elio. Especially the Earth Kingdom. The war has only been a formal way of finally settling the unrest that's been around for a very long time.

"You stand here and you try to morally grandstand, but the fact of the matter is you are not a good person, Elio. When your family and your people needed you, you turned your back on them. You could have made a huge difference in ending this conflict, yet you chose to run, and now you have the _nerve_ to stand before me and use the war as an excuse for what you did?"

Elio's eyebrows furrowed and his expression saddened. Cassian shook his head and stepped back, making his way to the entrance of the tent. Elio brushed his hair back and looked at him.

"I know we'll never see eye to eye on this, but you're still my brother, Cassian." Elio said. Cassian said nothing as he left them in the tent.

"Well...that could have gone better." Cindra commented awkwardly.

Things were quiet for the rest of the afternoon. As the day drew to its closing moments, the anxiety began to rise in the two of them, especially Elio. When Cassian finally came back to the entrance, tensions were at an all-time high.

"It's time." Cassian said, already wearing his shoulder gear and appropriate attire. Elio stood up, still wearing his normal tunic. He left his staff and pack by the entrance of the tent. Cindra stood up as well. He nodded.

"Let's go." He said.

The three of them walked away from the camp and back into town. As Cassian had promised, the town was cleared out and quiet. It was like walking into another ghost town. The ends of their arena were marked with lines in the ground. Cassian joined his subordinate. Elio walked with Cindra to his side of the arena.

"Sir, if I may ask, why are you fighting this man? He's nothing more than a traitor." Cassian's man asked him. Cassian glanced back at Elio.

"You are correct. But this is personal. The two of us have a long, deep history. It's on the grounds of our former brotherhood that he's challenged me." Cassian explained...

"Are you sure about this, Elio?" Cindra asked him, "I know he's like your brother, but he's really strong. Are you sure you can win?" She asked.

"There's only one way to find out, I guess. But I do know him well enough to know I have a shot." Elio said. He began to strip down to just his pants, removing his boots and his upper garments...

"Do you intend to kill your former friend, Cassian?" His subordinate questioned. Cassian got down on one knee with his back to Elio.

"I'm not sure yet. First, I need to worry about besting him...

"Elio is one of the most technically proficient firebenders I've ever known. He's smart, light on his feet, and his firebending style is very adaptable. He can do things that very few firebenders know how to do.

"His weakness is in his attitude. He's too soft to go for a killing blow. He'll try to do the bare minimum to win this fight. I have to exploit that; if I power through his defenses, I can overwhelm him." Cassian reasoned...

"Have you ever fought him before?" Cindra asked Elio curiously.

"Once. We got into a dumb disagreement over some girl we both liked. We were young and stupid. But more importantly, we've trained together, so I know how he operates," Elio said. He got down on one knee with his back to Cassian.

"Cassian emphasizes power over all else; he always has. He's strong-willed, and his attacks are powerful. Any move that I know how to do, he could do it and make a bigger fire. He'll take an aggressive approach and try to overwhelm me. I'll have to try and work around him.

"My biggest advantage is I know more forms than he does. If I can turn his offense against him and tire him out, I can outlast him and take the victory... This isn't going to be easy. We're evenly matched. I just have to capitalize on his weaknesses."

Elio and Cassian both stood up and turned towards each other, standing on opposite sides of the arena. Cindra took several steps back to be safely outside the boundaries. Cassian removed his shoulder gear. Both of them got into their fighting stances.

"Gentleman! Ready... Begin!" Cassian's subordinate shouted, signaling the beginning of the match.

Cassian made the first move, jumping forward and shooting a huge fireball at Elio. Elio stepped forward and began bending his fire, taking as much as he could and spinning it around him. He shot it back at Cassian. Surprised by this, he extinguished the fireball by spreading his hands out.

Elio spun on his right foot, shooting several fire kicks at Cassian. Cassian created a column of fire to absorb the attacks. He spun around and attacked with his other hand, shooting another fireball. Elio slid his foot back and extended one hand out, stopping the fireball and causing it to spread around him.

Cassian ran towards Elio as the fire dissipated. He jumped up and threw a spinning kick at Elio's head. Elio quickly ducked under it, creating two small sticks of fire in his hands. He tried to cut at Cassian's torso, but Cassian quickly backed up and tried to shoot fire into Elio's back.

Elio spun on his foot again and kicked Cassian's hand away. Before he could throw a fire punch, Cassian used his own fire to jump over Elio, shooting several blasts down at him. Elio blocked each one then went for a low-sweeping fire kick.

Cassian hopped over the arcing fire blast, using both feet to shoot another blast at Elio. Elio was able to block it, but he slid backwards from the sheer force of it. Cassian landed on his back and kicked back up to his feet. Elio, still maintaining his balance, made the next offensive move.

He shot one fireball directly at Cassian with one hand. Then with the other, he shot another fireball off to the side and curved his shot towards Cassian's right side. Seeing this, Cassian raised one hand to block Elio's first fireball. Then he raised his other hand up and blocked Elio's second fireball. The fire swirled around him but didn't touch him.

Both Elio and Cassian shot fiery, continuous blasts at each other. The two fires crashed against each other in the middle of the arena, creating a swirling, unstable inferno. As the flames extended outwards, both of them had to protect themselves from being burnt as they advanced back inwards.

Both of them created fire sticks and went in for close combat. Cassian held his fire sticks normally while Elio always went for an inverted grab technique. Cassian tried to stab Elio directly, while Elio was looking to catch him off-guard and cut him.

Cassian threw a backwards kick at Elio's head. Elio caught his foot and tried to sweep his other leg out. Cassian awkwardly hopped into the air, twisting his torso to throw a downwards fire punch. Elio raised his other arm up to block it while at the same time throwing a desperate fire kick.

Both blows connected, causing Elio to tumble backwards away from Cassian. Cassian landed harshly on the ground with a pained grunt. Elio seethed in pain as he got up to one knee. Elio had suffered a burn on his shoulder. Cassian had suffered a burn on the left side of his stomach.

"They really are evenly matched." Cindra realized.

"This fight isn't over! It isn't over until one of us can't stand!" Cassian growled, getting back to his feet. Elio stood up, taking his fighting stance once again.

"Well come on then." He said.

Cassian huffed and shot several rapid fireballs at Elio. Elio swirled his hands around and advanced closer, bending as much of Cassian's fire around him as he could. He shot the fire back at Cassian. But this time Cassian was ready for it and shot fire back at Elio.

Elio slid back in retreat, which allowed Cassian to advance on him. Cassian raised his hand up and went for a fiery downwards chop. Elio ducked underneath it and threw a regular kick, hitting Cassian right in his wound. He growled in pain and jumped backwards.

Elio threw a fire kick at Cassian's head. Cassian ducked under it and swept Elio's foot from underneath him. As Elio landed sideways on the ground, Cassian immediately tried to shoot a fireball down at him. Elio brought his arm up and flicked the fireball away awkwardly.

Twisting his body, Elio shot fire out of his feet to boost him slightly into the air. He knocked Cassian's legs out from under him. Cassian tumbled on top of Elio. Elio tried to chi-block Cassian with a punch to the ribs, but he missed the spot.

Cassian grunted in pain and elbowed Elio in the head. Elio, in a daze, rolled away and got to his feet sloppily. He couldn't see where Cassian was yet, but his knee-jerk reaction was to leap into the air and flip forward.

Cassian shot fire up at Elio. Elio twisted his body and saw the attack coming, so he was able to kick it away. As he landed on the ground, he stumbled as he realized how close he was to the boundary line.

Cassian shot a huge wave of fire at Elio. Elio got into a firm stance and took on the fire, extending his hands out to cut his own path through the attack. He slowly advanced forward, keeping the fire going around him as he got closer.

As Cassian's arms started to tire out, Elio sent the fire that was around him away. He shot several more blasts at Cassian. However, Cassian was still unrelenting. He blocked each attack and countered with his own. Back and forth the two continued to go.

However, both men stopped at the sounds of rumbling in the ground. They looked around to see where the sound was coming from. They both knew exactly what it meant.

"Cassian, jump!" Elio shouted. Both of them leaped high into the air to avoid being imprisoned in coffins of stone. They landed next to each other in the center of the arena and turned to stand back to back.

"Well well, take a look. Two firebenders fighting each other. You men are so disgustingly prideful, you can't even keep yourselves together in one unit." An earthbender taunted. About 6 earthbenders came out and surrounded them.

"Did you plan this?" Cassian asked aside to Elio.

"Really? The earthbenders hate me just as much as they hate you, how would I have planned this?" He pointed out. Cassian grunted.

"That man's the leader of the battalion in this area!" One of the other earthbenders pointed at Cassian.

"Take them both out." The leader ordered.

"Okay, earthbenders first, and then we'll finish this later." Cassian said.

"I can agree to that." Elio said, getting back in his fighting stance.

"If you've got any fancy tricks up your sleeve, now's the time to pull them out." Cassian advised, seeing that the earthbenders were starting their attack.

"I've got a few!" Elio exclaimed.

Elio threw a few fire kicks at the earthbenders on his side. He then brought his hands around in circles, creating a huge ring of fire around them. He extended it outwards, creating an arcing wall of fire that shot out in all directions.

One earthbender sank under the ground and popped up in front of Cassian. Cassian shot several fireballs at him. The earthbender created a wall and hid behind it. Cassian jumped over the wall and grabbed the top of it, landing on top of the earthbender and kicking him face-first into his own wall.

"Elio, I got your back!" Cindra shouted, taking her bending water out of her pouch. She snapped her water whip at the nearest earthbender, making everyone realize that they had a third opponent to deal with.

Elio swung his hands across his body several times, shooting out several powerful arcing shots to keep Cindra protected. He then jumped up and spun in the air, throwing one more arcing shot with extra force using a downwards kick.

One of the earthbenders brought a wall up to protect himself, but the wall was chipped away with each arcing shot. The final one broke through the wall and sent him flying back into one of the buildings on the side of the road.

Another earthbender shot boulders at Elio. Elio looked behind him and saw that Cassian was busy, so he was free to sidestep the attacks. While the earthbender was busy trying to hit Elio, Cindra reached out and froze water around his head. She used her bending to send his head crashing hard into the ground.

Meanwhile, Cassian was caught between two earthbenders. He quickly shot fireballs back and forth, using both his hands and feet to stay on the offensive while also avoiding both earthbenders' attacks. He shot a huge fireball into one earthbender that sent the man flying back.

However, the second earthbender quickly stomped on the ground, burying Cassian's body in the ground. Only his head remained above ground. The earthbender quickly created a boulder, ready to crush Cassian's head. Seeing this, Elio only had a few seconds to react.

"Cassian!" He shouted. He used his firebending to jump and fly forward. He flipped forward in a half-circle, planting his feet on the side of the boulder. He kicked it out from above Cassian's head just before it would've crushed him. Elio flipped backwards and landed on his feet.

Elio quickly came to Cassian's defense, sliding in front of him and jumping up to throw a spinning fire kick. The earthbender ducked under it and attempted to punch him in the chest. Elio swiped his arm away and used his chi-blocking to immobilize the earthbender with a few quick jabs to his arm and torso.

Meanwhile, Cindra was fighting the last earthbender. She used her bending water to freeze his leg before he could step forward. The earthbender attempted to bend a boulder out of the ground, so Cindra froze his hands together.

"Better luck next time!" Cindra said, using the last of her water to create a thick glove of ice around her own hands. She jumped up and smashed her hands into the side of the earthbender's head, knocking him down and breaking her own ice.

"Ow!" Cindra growled, rubbing her hands together. She looked back and saw that they had won.

"Look at you, Elio. We could've made an amazing team together. But you're throwing it all away." Cassian said, sounding genuinely disappointed and saddened. Elio looked back at him and sighed.

"I'm sorry, brother. But it was never gonna happen." He said honestly, leaving him stuck in the ground while he ran back to Cindra.

"Now's our chance, Elio! Let's grab our stuff and get out of here!" She urged him. Elio nodded in agreement, grabbing the clothes that he had left on his side of the arena.

"I agree, let's go! Wait... Where is the man that was with Cassian?" He realized.

"He's... He's probably running back to get backup! We should hurry!" She shouted.

Elio quickly strapped his boots on and tied the remainder of his clothes around his waist. The two of them went running back towards the camp only to see that the rest of Cassian's men were already being rounded up. Thinking quickly, Elio took charge.

"Go around and get our stuff! I'll draw their attention and grab us a ride!" Elio instructed.

"Okay! Be careful!" Cindra said before splitting off from him.

Elio took in a deep breath and quickened his pace, sprinting into the camp. As the men were gathering together, he rushed past them and started setting random tents on fire. Some of the men reacted and started shooting fireballs at him, but he was already far away enough to ignore them.

Cindra worked around and sneaked into Cassian's tent. She gathered up all of her things as quickly as she could, pulling the straps of their bags over her shoulders. She looked back and saw a bottle sitting on Cassian's table. She reached out to it. The bottle shattered as she bent its contents into her water pouch.

"Does the Fire Nation keep all their water in fancy bottles?" Cindra wondered aloud.

As she turned around, two Fire Nation men entered into the tent. She quickly bent the water back out, splashing them both in the face. She pulled out Elio's staff. She whacked one in the top of his helmet and tripped the legs out from under the other soldier.

Elio looked around frantically until he found what he was looking for: the herd of komodo rhinos. He rushed to one and jumped on top of it. It immediately squawked loudly and tried to buck him off. However, he took control of the reins.

"Woah woah woah!" He exclaimed as he got it under control. He tried to remember his riding lessons from years ago. However, he was also in a rush. He managed to get it to stop bucking, and he directed it to run back towards Cassian's tent.

"He's stealing our rhino!" One of the men shouted.

Elio rode over to Cassian's tent, where he saw Cindra making her way out with their stuff. He called out to her to get her attention. The komodo rhino skidded to a stop at his direction, and she hurriedly climbed on top.

"Do you know how to ride one of these?" Cindra asked.

"Kind of! Hold on tight!" He told her. He flicked the reins again and the komodo rhino took off running again.

As they turned and went back across the tent again, fireballs were shot directly at them. Elio let go of the reins briefly and firebent with both hands to keep them from being hit. Once they were safely across, Elio turned back towards the herd of komodo rhinos.

He saw that some of the soldiers were mounting their own in order to chase after them. Elio shot a heavy amount of fire with one hand, burning the fencing around the animals. This caused them to retreat cautiously and throw off some of the riders.

"Nice!" Cindra exclaimed. Elio flicked the reins of the komodo rhino once more, and soon they had put a safe distance between them and the camp.

"That was a close one." She commented once they were able to relax.

"About as close as they come," Elio agreed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. What about you? Do you want me to heal that burn on your shoulder?" She offered.

"If you can do it while we're riding, sure." He answered. Cindra nodded, beginning to waterbend.

"How do you feel after facing Cassian like that?" She asked. Elio sighed.

"I get a bad feeling it won't be the last time. But for now, let's just be glad we got out of there." He answered seriously. Cindra's lip tugged to one side, silently in agreement with him.

Cindra bent the remaining water in her pouch around her hands. She reached around Elio's shoulders and placed her hands over his wound. As soon as the liquid made contact, he immediately seethed sharply in pain.

"Owww! What is that?!" He hissed.

"Does it hurt?!"

"Yeah it hurts! It didn't sting when you healed me before!" He pointed out. Cindra was confused for a moment.

"Oh! I got this water from a bottle in Cassian's tent!" She remembered.

"A bottle?"

"Yeah. It was a dark bottle." She answered.

"That's not water, Cindra, that's alcohol!" He realized.

"Ohh that explains it! Well, just hold still and this will be over soon." She said, resuming her healing. He hissed in pain again.

"Ow! Cindra!" He growled. Cindra tried not to crack a smile...


	23. The Canyon

While riding on the back of the komodo rhino, Elio held the reins in one hand and was holding up the map of the Earth Kingdom in the other. As Cindra was holding onto him, she noticed that he didn't seem to be fully focused on where they were going.

"Do you know where we're going, Elio?" She asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, of course I do. I got the map right here." He pointed out.

"Yeah, but you're looking at it when you should be watching where we're going. Tree!" Cindra exclaimed. Elio quickly guided the komodo rhino around the tree that they were about to run into.

"I'm multitasking! Besides, komodo rhinos are smart. It'll keep us on track until we get to the canyon."

"Either way, maybe you should let me hold onto the map until we get there." Cindra warily suggested.

"I gotta make sure we're still going in the right direction though. If the map is correct, pretty soon we should be coming up on the-"

"Stop!" Cindra screamed suddenly.

Elio immediately pulled at the reins. The komodo rhino quickly skidded to a stop just short of the edge of a cliff. Cindra grabbed on tight to Elio as they slid close to the edge before stopping. Elio exhaled in relief and looked out beyond the edge of the cliff.

"The canyon! We're here!" Elio said, rolling up the map with a laugh, "Told ya we'd make it."

"Yeah, heheh," Cindra let out a weak chuckle before the two of them got off the komodo rhino. "I'm just glad to be back on my own two feet."

"Understandable." Elio said before turning back to their ride. Once he had gotten all of their stuff off of the komodo rhino, Elio patted it on the side and sent it running on its way. Cindra eyed him strangely.

"Why are you throwing our ride away?" She asked curiously.

"I thought you didn't wanna ride it." He teased her.

"Well yeah, but isn't it faster?"

"It is, but the Fire Nation will be looking for a stolen komodo rhino. Besides, the harbor is on the other side of this canyon. The fastest way to get there is to cut directly through it." Elio explained.

"Makes sense. Looks like a long way to go." She said, resting her hands on her hips as she looked out over the long, outstretching landscape.

"Oh yeah. But at least we won't have to worry about the Fire Nation following us down here. The landscape looks pretty empty. I doubt we'll run into anyone in here." Elio said.

"Let's hope so. Well, shall we get going?" She looked at him.

"Yep! Careful going down alright?" He warned.

The two of them began their descent into the canyon. Elio went down first, strapping his pack to his back and finding a path to climb down. Cindra went down and followed his path as closely as she could. It was a slow, arduous process, but eventually they reached the bottom.

"Careful!" Elio said as Cindra's foot slipped near the end. He quickly stepped behind her, catching her to stop her from possibly falling backwards. She got her footing and leaned back against him.

"Whoa! Thank you." She said as she stood up. Elio let her go and they turned back towards the canyon ahead of them.

The two of them nodded to each other and began walking. With no shade and the hot sun beating down on them, they were forced to remove some of their extraneous clothing and use it as shade. It wasn't long before the both of them were already sick of being out here.

"How long did you say it would take for us to get to the other side of this canyon?" Cindra asked.

"Hard to say for sure. Based on the map, I'd say sometime tomorrow?" He guessed.

"Ugh, great. I'm already sweating through all of my clothes." She groaned.

"Yeah, same. I know it's not fun, but this was the best option for us." He said apologetically.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not blaming you. I'm just not a fan of this heat!"

"Haha, yeah. How about we sit and take a quick break? Drink some water, cool off, and then continue on our way." He suggested.

"Please. Anywhere where there's shade would be great." She stated her preference.

It took a little while, but finally they found some rock formations where they were able to get some shade. They sat down with their backs against the rock, placing their packs down next to them and sighing in relief. Cindra pulled out their drinking water and they both took sips.

"Oh man. This is almost as bad as the desert." Cindra said with a shake of her head.

"It's definitely close," Elio agreed. "But hey, we made it that time. We'll be fine this time too." He said, trying to be encourgaing.

"Yeah, true. Hey, can I see where we are on the map?" She requested.

"Sure," Elio nodded. He reached into his pack and pulled out the map of the Earth Kingdom. He unrolled it and leaned over to show her, pointing to their approximate location. "We should be right about here right now. The town and harbor are right here." He pointed to the other side of the canyon.

"So we're supposedly here, somewhere in The Great Divide, right?" She asked.

"Yes. However, since we're going this way, it should be easier to cross." He stated.

"I sure hope so. The less time we spend in this place the better." She said, rubbing her hands together.

"I agree! So we should get back on our feet." He said, getting up. He held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her get to her feet.

"Right. Hey, where did you learn how to read a map?" Cindra asked curiously.

"They taught us how to do it in school. You use the sun during the day. We need to go north, so when the sun rose this morning, I made sure that I put it on our right." He explained.

"Not bad!" Cindra complimented. They put their packs back on and they continued once again.

As they began to walk out from underneath the shade, in the distance they could hear snarling and growling and the scampering of creatures coming closer. The both of them looked in the direction of the noise then at each other. Without wasting any time, they clutched onto their packs tighter and began to run.

As they rushed out into the open, their pursuers revealed themselves. They turned around to see a small pack of gigantic spider creatures with long, powerful jaws full of teeth. Both of them yelped fearfully and quickened their paces, but they were way too slow to outrun those things.

"Get your water ready, Cindra! We're gonna have to fight these off!" Elio shouted.

"Here we go again!" Cindra shouted in response.

Elio stepped forward and shot a large fire blast at the approaching pack. The creatures spread outwards, beginning to circle the two of them. Cindra pulled out her water and spun it in a ring around the two of them.

She rapidly extended her hands in different directions, shooting icy spikes at the creatures. They all reeled back and snarled angrily. Elio shot fireballs up into the air and directed them downwards, one by one hammering fire down upon the creatures.

"I'm pretty sure there aren't only just six of these things in this canyon!" Cindra said, cutting through two of the creatures with blades of water.

"This is probably a small hunting pack!" Elio guessed, shooting a fire punch at one of them. It reeled back and collapsed on the ground.

"How do you know that?" Cindra asked as she cut the head off of another one before it could get too close.

"I don't!" Elio shouted, extending both hands out towards another one. Like the first one, he overwhelmed it with fire until it couldn't fight anymore.

The last of the pack charged straight at Elio unexpectedly. He turned to shoot a fireball at it, but he was thrown off by how quickly it was approaching. Cindra used her bending water to lift up the creature by its belly, flipping it over Elio. It landed on its back, giving Elio the opening he needed. He flipped forward, sending a fire kick down into it.

"Trying to show off now?" She teased as Elio stood up again.

"Me? Never." Elio brushed himself off.

"Well, all things considered, that could have been worse. But let's try not to run into any of those things again."

"Agreed." Elio said as he caught his breath.

Thankfully, there weren't anymore incidents with those creatures. The rest of the day was spent walking in relative silence. As night came and the cold began to set in, Elio and Cindra made camp for the night near another tall rock formation.

"What do you think is the likelihood that those things sleep?" Elio wondered aloud as they sat and ate their food by a fire. They chose not to eat anything that needed to be cooked so as to avoid attracting any more creatures.

"Pretty likely...? I don't know. Do bugs sleep?"

"You know, I never thought that question would become important. But here we are." Elio said with some humor. Cindra chuckled.

"Maybe we should take turns keeping watch just to be safe. Besides, we can get real rest when we get to town." Cindra suggested.

"Sounds good. I'll take first watch." He decided.

"You sure? I don't mind taking first watch." She said.

"I know you don't. But I'm taking first watch, so there." He smiled. Cindra smiled back and tapped him on the arm.

"Thanks, Elio. In that case, I'm going to bed now. Gotta maximize that resting time, you know?"

"Haha, goodnight, Cindra." He chuckled. Cindra patted him on the shoulder before crawling into the tent.

As evening turned to nighttime and their surroundings turned dark, Elio found himself able to see less and less beyond the light of the fire. After awhile, he decided to stop relying on sight and rely more on his hearing. So he allowed the fire to go out.

He recalled a strange reaction his body had when he was last feeling cold and in front of a fire. He'd figured out a way to warm his body just by using his firebending. If he could figure out how to do that again, he wouldn't need to worry about the fire at all.

He crossed his legs and sat straight up. Resting his hands in his lap, he began to focus on his breathing. He took in slow, deep breaths. He almost felt as if he was meditating; only able to hear his breathing in the silence around him.

Before long, he didn't feel cold anymore.

"Hey, Elio," Cindra muttered tiredly. Elio looked behind him and saw that Cindra had woken up on her own. She rubbed her eyes and crawled up behind him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I think we should switch now." She said with a yawn.

"You sure? You sound like you could use a little more sleep." He observed.

"I can't sleep right now. Besides, it's been a few hours. Time to switch. You need your rest too." She countered. Elio nodded.

"Yeah... Something bothering you?" He asked. Cindra sighed, sitting down next to him but facing the other way.

"Just worried... Anxious," She answered. "I didn't leave my family on good terms. Even though things are different now, I don't know if they'll be happy to see me. You know what I mean?"

"I'm sure they will be." He said.

"You think so?"

"Of course. You had the right idea, and I'm sure they'll see that. I'm sure they'll be happy to see that you're alright. And even if they aren't happy to see you, _you kno_ w that you did the right thing. That's all that really matters, right?" He gave his thoughts.

"I guess you're right," She nodded, hugging her knees. "That must be how you feel, right? Since you kinda did the same thing." She asked.

"Yeah... It's not easy though. But when you go back, whatever happens, I know that you'll be ready for it." He said to encourage her.

"Thank you, Elio... I'm worried about you though. Even after I go, you'll still have Cassian after you. You'll still be in a lot of danger." She added.

"I'll be alright, Cindra," Elio said, trying to sound reassuring and confident for her. "You know I can handle myself."

"I do. But still, I can't help but worry. I know I don't really need to, I just want you to be alright." She said honestly. Elio nodded in understanding, patting her on the knee.

"I get it. I'll be alright. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," She said with a soft chuckle. "But hey...if you ever get the chance, write to me, alright?"

"Haha, I can. I don't know if there's a postal service over in the North Pole though." He said with a laugh.

"Ha, well, for the right price, I'm sure you could make something work." She said confidently.

"Well, if I get the chance, I certainly will." Elio said with a smile. He couldn't see it, but Cindra was smiling too.

"Good. Now get some sleep, Elio. I'll wake you up when its your turn again." She insisted.

"Alright. Goodnight." Elio said, retreating back into the tent.

"Goodnight... Oh, wait! Could you light the fire real quick?" Cindra requested.

Elio extended his hand out of the tent and shot a quick fireball into the fire pit they had made. What was still flammable caught on fire and began to burn. Cindra threw some kindling into the fire to make it brighter.

"Thank youuu." Cindra said.

As Elio drifted off to sleep that night, his mind went back to his own family. Cindra was getting the chance to reunite with hers, and he wanted to believe that it would go well for her; however, he was unable to do the same with his own family, even though he missed them.

He began to wonder how his family would react to seeing him again. His father would likely still be upset and angry, and he wouldn't hesitate to express his feelings then and there. His mother would be far more upset, but she would likely just want to understand why he did what he did.

It was his sister's reaction that he wasn't quite sure of. Taiga and Elio have had their contentious moments, as all siblings do, but they got along more often than they didn't. He couldn't imagine how his decision to leave must've affected her, losing a family member that was also like a friend...

A few more hours passed, and hints of sunlight were beginning to peek over the horizon. Elio got up and let Cindra have a little more rest before they went on their way again. When morning came, they got up and continued onward.

They were both still tired, so conversation was scarce as they found themselves once again back underneath the hot, harsh sun. The heat was beating them down, wearing down their energy to continue. Drained as they were, they knew they couldn't be too far from the end of the canyon now.

"Man, what I wouldn't give to be an airbender right now. I could whip us up a nice breeze. Maybe fly us across the canyon faster." Cindra sighed.

"Well, I don't know about the second one, but definitely the first one." Elio commented.

"What do you mean? That's how airbending works, isn't it?"

"Not quite."

"Oh so you're an expert on airbending now?" She teased.

"Well, I did meet one once." He commented.

"Oh yeah, right. I forgot about that. Was he cool?" Cindra asked curiously.

"Yeah. Yeah, he was nice." Elio answered with a nod. Cindra nodded too, not saying anything.

There was an awkward pause between them.

"It'd be nice to have an earthbender too," Elio spoke up. "We could have a big rock slab for shade, and he definitely would be able to get us up and down the canyon walls."

"Oh yeah. Someone like Alger, perhaps?" Cindra suggested.

"Oh right! Alger!" Elio remembered, "I wonder how that guy is doing."

"Me too. He was kinda weird, but at least he was helpful." She said.

"Yeah, when he wasn't attacking me." He added.

"Right, tack off a couple points for that one."

"Yeah... Look! There's the wall!" Elio pointed ahead of them.

They both sighed in relief as they finally saw the other side of the canyon ahead of them. They only had a little further to go! Then they would only have to worry about getting out of the canyon.

"Finally! Let's go!" Cindra exclaimed excitedly, grabbing Elio's hand and urging him to go faster. Although his feet were tired, he pushed himself to indulge her in hurrying their pace. Finally, they reached the base of the canyon wall.

"We're almost out of here!" Elio said with a happy sigh, leaning back against the wall.

"Yeah. We just gotta get to the top of this wall." Cindra said.

"Right, yeah... Just soak in this moment. This is a victory." Elio said with a tired exhale.

"But we're not at the top yet."

"Shh, you're not soaking."

"Yes, I am. I am soaking in _sweat_!" Cindra complained. The two of them looked at each other and began to laugh. Elio snickered and smiled.

"Alright, yeah, fair point. Let's get up here so we can book a room and take a bath."

"Please." Cindra giggled.

The two of them turned back towards the wall. Elio scanned the terrain going upwards while Cindra looked to either side for an easier way to get to the top.

"I think we can make this climb." Elio said.

"You sure? Wouldn't it be easier to just find a part of the wall where it isn't as steep?" Cindra suggested.

"There's no guarantee that we'd find it though. And then we'd be off track."

"You're positive that if we climb the wall right here right now, the town will be right there?" Cindra asked. Elio started to doubt himself a bit just by the tone of her voice, but he was certain up until now that he had led them in the right direction.

"We've been following the map closely. I know it's up there." He answered. Cindra placed her hands and looked up at the wall again.

"Alright," She shrugged. "Let's do it then."

Elio tightened the straps of his bag and started the climb. He guided Cindra on where to place her hands and feet so she could follow right behind him. Thankfully, the wall was jagged; this allowed them to take frequent breaks as they got higher and higher. Their anxiety rose as they scaled higher and higher, but before they knew it they were halfway up.

Elio reached over and helped pull Cindra up onto a ledge where they could sit back against the wall and take another break. Cindra took out their drinking water and they both took sips. They sighed and relaxed, taking in the view of the canyon.

"Beautiful view, huh?" Elio said.

"About as Earth Kingdom as it gets," She commented with a chuckle. "And so easy to reach too."

"Right?" He scoffed.

"It's actually not so bad. Long as you don't look down." She said.

"Yeah? Is it bad?" Elio asked. He curiously leaned forward to look down over the edge. Seeing how far the drop was made him instantly queasy. He sat back again and cringed heavily. Cindra rolled her eyes and gave him a sideways look.

"Really? You're such a dork!"

Soon after, Elio and Cindra mustered up the energy to resume the climb. Elio led the way again and Cindra followed behind him. As they got higher up, the rock wall got harder to climb, but they still had one more ledge that they could stand on.

However, as they were nearing it, they heard the familiar sounds of snarling and scampering. They looked down and saw that a few more of those creatures were making their way up towards them. Cindra looked up fearfully at Elio.

"What do we do?!"

"Climb faster! We need to get to the ledge!" Elio said.

Elio quickened his pace so Cindra could hurry and take his place. They only had about 10-15 seconds before those creatures would be on top of them. Elio looked down and saw they were getting closer. He looked back up at the ledge and took in a deep breath.

"Watch your hands, Cindra!" He warned.

Using his firebending, he leaped up towards the ledge. He shot fire out of his feet to boost his jump. He managed to get his upper body over the ledge. He pulled his legs over and turned around.

"Come on, Cindra!" He urged as she climbed higher.

"I can't do that!" She yelled at him.

"Get as close as you can then jump! I'll tell you when!" Elio directed, holding his hands out.

"I'm not gonna make it!"

"I'll catch you!"

Cindra shuddered fearfully as she sidled as close to the ledge as she could. Elio looked down below her and saw that those creatures were about to reach her.

"Jump! Jump!" He quickly shouted.

With a scream, Cindra jumped out as far as she could towards Elio. Elio reached out to grab her, but he quickly saw that her jump was a little short. He dropped down onto his stomach and grabbed her hands, keeping her from falling.

They both yelped out in pain as he held her up. The creatures crawled up past her, but their attention was already turning towards them. Elio lifted Cindra up so she could grab onto the edge of the ledge.

"Grab on! I got you!" He shouted.

As Cindra grabbed onto the ledge, Elio let her go. He wrapped one arm around her to help her pull herself onto the ledge. With his other hand, he shot fire at the creatures. However, because his attention was divided and he'd lost his breath, his attacks weren't too effective.

"I got it!" Cindra exclaimed as she pulled herself over the ledge.

"Here they come!" Elio shouted as the creatures snarled at them. There were two of them.

Elio took in a deep breath and shot a fireball out of his foot. It crashed into one of them, causing it to burn to a crisp and fall back down the cliff. The second one retreated slightly.

"Ahh!" Cindra shrieked as another creature appeared on the other side of the ledge. She pulled out her bending water and created a spike, piercing the creature out of pure instinct. She melted the water and launched it away from them. The two of them scrambled to their feet.

"We need to get to the top!" Elio shouted. He looked up towards the top. If he could muster up enough power, he could make the jump to the top with Cindra in tow, "When I say so, grab onto me!"

"We gonna make another jump?" She asked, creating a protective barrier between them and the last creature.

"Hopefully!" Elio answered.

Cindra, without any direction from Elio, grabbed onto him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and braced herself, "Do it!"

Elio wrapped his arm around her and took in a full breath of air. He grunted out loud as he jumped into the air, boosting the jump with firebending again. They flew up into the air and awkwardly arched over the top of the cliff. They landed harshly on their sides on the grass, still holding onto each other.

"We made it!" She exclaimed.

The last creature quickly crawled to the top of the canyon. As it reached the top, it lifted its head and roared at them. Elio immediately shot a huge fireball at it, causing it to reel back. Cindra created another ice spike and shot it into the creature's chest, sending it flying back into the canyon.

Elio and Cindra, both gasping for air while their hearts were racing, slowly laid back in the grass and groaned. They pulled their arms out from around each other and rested again. They were so tired at this point, that they were considering just laying in the grass and calling it a day.

"So... Take your pick: the desert or the canyon?" Elio asked tiredly. Cindra smacked him on the arm.

"I don't wanna do either of them again!"

"Yeah, same," Elio said with a long exhale. He turned onto his stomach and slowly pushed himself to his feet. "But look. There's the town up ahead." He pointed out.

"Really?" Cindra looked and saw the town. She quickly got to her feet too, "Finally! Please, let's find an inn now!" She begged.

"Yeah, let's go." Elio said with a tired chuckle...


	24. Farewell

Elio woke up sluggishly in bed to the sound of knocking on the door of his room. As he slowly got up and stretched his back and shoulders out, his nappy hair fell down over his eyes. He could hear Cindra's voice speaking through the door.

"Elio. Hey, are you up yet?" She asked.

"Uh, I am now," He answered in a low, dry voice. "What's up?" He asked, rubbing the leftover sleepiness out of his eyes.

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course. Just let me grab my shirt." He said with a yawn. He got up out of bed and grabbed his casual long sleeve shirt. He quickly put it on as he made his way to the door.

He opened up the door to see Cindra already fully awake and dressed to go out. She smiled pleasantly and entered into the room, holding some sort of ticket in her hands.

"You look like you slept well." She said with a giggle.

"Heheh, I haven't slept in a real bed in awhile," He admitted. "What're you doing up so early?"

"I had to go and get my ticket for the boat ride up north. I paid for passage as far north as they were willing to take me." She explained.

"Oh," Elio said in surprise. He knew Cindra would be leaving very soon, but he was still somewhat caught off guard by how quickly she had already prepared herself. "That makes sense."

"Mhmm! So I'm all set!"

"That's good," Elio said, taking a moment to fix his bed sheets. "When do you head out?"

"First thing tomorrow morning. Which leaves us one more day." She answered.

Elio nodded, letting this sink in. After traveling alone for so long, it was nice to have a partner. He and Cindra had gone through a lot together and had become quite close. Saying goodbye would not be easy for him, but he knew that it was the best thing for her.

"Shame it has to come so soon." He commented.

"Yeah. But we got one more day! And I wanna make the most of it! So what's the plan?" She asked. Elio hummed and shrugged.

"I'm planning on going to the market. I need to resupply for my trip to Ba Sing Se." He answered simply.

"Right! Well, grab your clothes and I'll go with you!" She said with a smile.

"You want to come with me? You should take this time to relax." He recommended.

"I can relax on the ship! Don't be such a stick in the mud, Elio. I'll wait for you outside." She said brightly, squeezing him on the arm before making her way out of the room. Elio went up and closed the door behind her.

Elio sighed and went to get dressed in his clothes to go out. He wasn't sure yet how to handle Cindra's departure. Her cheerful disposition added a bittersweet feeling to the mix; he always enjoyed her upbeat attitude, but this time it was clashing with his desire not to see her go.

Elio went downstairs with his bag and his staff on hand. He found Cindra waiting by the door for him with a smile. He walked over to her and nodded wordlessly. She fell in step next to him and they made their way to the market.

"Something smells really good." Cindra noticed and pointed out. Elio lifted his head and was able to smell what she was talking about; it was a kind of sweet and savory scent.

"That does smell good," He agreed. "Wanna check it out?" He offered.

"Duh!" She answered with a laugh.

The two of them made their way to the food stand where the smell was coming from. They watched as the woman running the stand was using fire to cook fruit, eggs, and meat. The smell hit both of their noses and made their stomachs rumble.

"That looks so good." Elio said.

"Let's buy ourselves a breakfast!" Cindra suggested. Elio looked at her hesitantly.

"I don't know... We do have food in our packs that we could eat instead." He pointed out.

"Well, I mean, yeah. You're right." She said, her excitement quickly coming down. Elio could tell that she seemed disappointed. He sighed and decided to change his mind.

"Okay. We can get the breakfast." He agreed.

"No no, it's okay."

"Nah, it's no problem. Hey, how much for a breakfast for two?" Elio asked the woman running the stand.

So Elio paid for the two of them to have breakfast together. And it was a delicious meal. However, despite Elio going along with what Cindra had asked for, he got the sense that she still wasn't happy with it. Perhaps she felt guilty for getting him to spend money unnecessarily.

After finishing their food they began walking through the market to buy food for their journeys. They went from stand to stand together like they always would. However, Elio's focus was clearly different than hers.

"Look! They have watermelons!" Cindra lifted up one and smiled at Elio. He looked at her and chuckled.

"That's a big one."

"You want one?"

"Nah, too heavy for me to carry. But you can get one if you want." He shrugged.

"Oh yeah, right. Well, I'll get it later. I'd have to carry it back to my room anyways." She realized.

"If you want it, get it," He encouraged. "I'm gonna head down that way for the travel-friendly foods. We can always meet up again later."

"Oh. Okay." Cindra stuttered.

Elio gave her a thumbs-up and a smile before going on his way. Cindra sighed and turned back to the watermelons. She picked up the one she had grabbed and paid for it. She then silently made her way back to the inn so she could leave it in her room.

Setting the watermelon down on her bed, her mind was starting to go in circles. On the one hand, she felt stupid for even getting upset at how Elio was behaving. After all, he would be on his own again soon, and he needed to prepare as such.

But on the other hand, she wanted their last day together to be nice and relaxed. Instead, it was just awkward. She really wanted things to go well though. So she went back out to find Elio and give things another try.

However, when she got to where Elio said he was going to be, she didn't find him. She started wandering around trying to find him, but he had disappeared. She sighed in annoyance and continued her search.

In the midst of her looking around for Elio, she came across a group of men setting up banners for what appeared to be some kind of event. Curious, she decided to go up to one of them and ask what the occasion was.

"Hey! What's going on here? What are the colors for?" She asked, gesturing to the banners and streamers that they were putting up.

"Oh, we're throwing a little festival tonight! There's even a group of traveling musicians passing through that have agreed to perform. They'll be providing the music. Singing, dancing, good food. The whole shebang! You should come!" He encouraged.

"That sounds really fun! You know what? I think I will come!" She said with a smile.

Cindra made her way back towards the inn with the festival on her mind. It was exactly the sort of send-off she had been hoping for! She and Elio could go and have a nice time before parting ways. She just needed to find him and tell him about it.

Thankfully, that didn't turn out to be a problem. When she got back to her room, she saw Elio at the end of the hall entering into his room with his items. Cindra quickly hurried over to him.

"Here, let me help you with the door!" She said, opening up the door to his room for him.

"Oh, perfect timing. Thanks, Cindra!" Elio said before entering into the room.

"You're welcome," She said before following him in. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yep, just about." He answered as he began neatly putting everything into his travel pack.

"That's good! I, uh, went out to join up with you but I couldn't find you."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize you were gonna come back for me. My mistake." He quickly apologized.

"It's no problem... So hey, uh-"

"I did a little bit of asking around the market," Elio brought up without knowing that Cindra wasn't done speaking. "Turns out that there are _no_ Fire Nation outposts near this area. It's a perfect place to lay low for awhile." He said.

"Yeah? That's great! And actually a huge relief, because I wanted to ask you something." She tried again.

"Oh yeah? What's on your mind?" He asked, turning to look at her.

"While I was out looking for you, I heard about a festival that's going on tonight. I was thinking we should go. There's supposed to be music and good food, like a big party!" She described.

"And you wanna go?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, it sounds like a lot of fun! Don't you think?"

"Yeah. I mean it does sound like fun, but..." Elio started. Cindra's expression was already falling into disappointment before he even continued, "It might be a better idea to just lay low, you know? Not draw attention to ourselves."

"And do what? Just sit here in our rooms for the rest of the day?" She asked. Elio picked up on her attitude, and this put him in a defensive mood.

"If you want to go to the party so bad, Cindra, then go. No one's stopping you." He said. Cindra exhaled impatiently.

"I don't want to _just_ go to the festival. I want _us_ to go to the festival, Elio." She stated.

"I understand that. But that kind of exposure could pose a risk," He pointed out. "And that's not even taking into account how much money we'll probably end up spending to get in, pay for food; you get what I'm saying?" He said.

"Yeah," Cindra sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll just go back to my room and finish my packing then." She said before quickly stepping out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Cindra, come on." Elio groaned, sensing that she was upset. However, once the door was closed, it did not open again. So Elio was left alone in his room.

When he had finished packing up all of his things, he walked out of his room. He was going to go over to her and try to see what was going on. But instead, he decided to leave the inn and go back out into the market to find out more about this festival...

"Yeah! It's gonna be like a big old party with all the stands providing their best refreshments and food! Everyone's invited!" One of the shopkeepers, who was apparently involved in organizing the event, described to Elio. Elio folded his arms.

"It sounds like a lot of fun, but what's the occasion for it?" He asked curiously.

"In general? Things have been pretty quiet and peaceful around here the last few months. It's just a chance to wind down and have a little fun." He said with a smile.

"I guess so." Elio said with a shrug. The shopkeeper glanced at Elio and leaned on the counter.

"Listen, kid, times are tough. We all know that. Look around ya. Everyone's struggling in one way or another. But just because things could be better don't mean that you can't find joy and have fun. When's the last time you took a load off?" He asked.

"Uh... I don't know." Elio shrugged again as he tried to think back to the last time he had a chance to relax. It felt like it had been forever now. Had it been weeks? A couple months?

"Sounds like you could use the chance," The shopkeeper smiled kindly. "Come to the festival tonight. Promise you won't regret it! After all, who knows when you'll get the chance to relax again?" He pointed out.

Elio walked away from the shop with his hands in his pockets. The longer he thought about it, the less he was able to recall times where things had been calm for him. He'd become so wound up by his circumstances that it was like his new normal.

The Fire Nation had a hand in giving him that routine too. Back when he was young, he was always bouncing around between school, firebending training, and the occasional sport. He was always keeping busy, so the moments where he had free time felt like unproductive, wasted time to him.

But tonight could be different.

Elio made his way back to the inn and walked up to Cindra's room. He knocked on the door, "Cindra? It's me. May I come in?" He requested.

"Yeah, of course. Door's open." She answered.

Elio entered into the room. He found Cindra was finishing up with packing the last of her non-essential belongings. She'd only left out what she would need for tonight and tomorrow morning. Elio closed the door behind her and rested his hands on his hips.

"I feel like we need to talk." He said.

"Yeah... I'm sorry, Elio, I've been annoying today, haven't I?" She asked.

"No. But something's clearly been bothering you. And I get the feeling it's probably me, yeah?" He asked her. She sighed.

"It's really nothing. I'm just making a big deal out of nothing." She said dismissively. Elio decided to change his approach a bit.

"Why do you want to go to the festival?" He asked.

"What?" She looked at him.

"I went to the market today to find out more about it. It sounds fun. But it seemed important to you in some way." He stated his observations.

"It isn't the festival that's important, Elio. I just wanted us to go together."

"Right." Elio nodded. Cindra shook her head.

"It's our last day together, Elio. The chances of us ever seeing each other again are very, very small, you know? You know that. I'll be going home to train, and you'll be continuing on to Ba Sing Se. You'll be in danger again and I won't be there to help you.

"I just wanted our last day together to be nice. No fighting, no training, no traveling. I don't care about whether it's at the festival or not. I just wanted to do something nice so that we could look back and be glad we did it." She expressed her feelings. Elio nodded in understanding.

"I see... I'm sorry. I didn't know you were feeling that way."

"Of course I feel that way, Elio. I mean, since we've met, we've gone through a ton together! No one's ever stuck by me and encouraged me to grow the way I want to the way you have. Not to mention the dozens of times you've saved my life." She listed.

"It sure has been a lot," Elio acknowledged. "You've been a true friend, Cindra. I can't thank you enough for everything." He said sincerely. She smiled a bit at him.

"You too."

Elio walked up to her and offered a hug to her. She stepped up to him and the two hugged each other tightly. He rubbed his hand on her back soothingly, and she wrapped her arms a little tighter around him.

"Let's go to the festival tonight. I'm sure it'll be a great time." Elio said.

"You sure? What about your money?" Cindra asked.

"I can always get more. But you're right: this is our last chance to do something nice together." He said, looking at her with a smile. She smiled back and nodded.

"Okay. Well, let me get my outfit together."

"Sure. I'll come get you this evening." He agreed, letting her go and exiting her room.

Elio went back to his room to wash up and get ready for the festival. He put together the nicest clothes he had and made sure he had everything he needed. And as he prepared, he imagined Cindra was probably doing the same thing.

Finally, the time came. Elio didn't have much to wear, but he still put on his best for the occasion. He went over to Cindra's room and knocked on the door. She opened up the door wearing a more traditional piece of water tribe clothing; something he hadn't seen her wear before.

"Hey, Elio! Ready to go?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Elio chuckled. "You look really nice." He complimented with a smile.

"Aww, you think so? I took this with me for when I reached the South Pole, but after we partnered up, I never really had a use for it 'til now. I'm glad you like it!"

"Haha, well let's get going." Elio said, gesturing for her to follow. They made their way downstairs and stepped out of the building. They turned towards the marketplace just to their left.

In the few hours that they had been away, the marketplace had been transformed into a bustling site full of attendees. Colorful streamers and banners had been hung up above. Different smells were swirling all over the place. And as promised, there was lively music and dancing not far from them.

"Oh wow! This is awesome!" Cindra exclaimed. Elio nodded in agreement, astonished at the spectacle.

"Yeah, it is. What do we do first?" He asked her.

"Let's try some of the food first!" She decided.

Elio let Cindra lead the way for the most part. They went around to different stands, trying and sampling different types of food. Elio was overjoyed to find some meat stands that were cooked similarly to the food stands back home.

Looking around at all the people passing them by, Elio found that he was enjoying himself far more than expected. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel like he needed to worry about his surroundings. He was able to just relax and enjoy this time he had with Cindra.

"The music sounds really good! Let's go dance!" Cindra suggested, pointing to the crowd dancing in front of the band that was playing music.

"Uh, I don't actually know how to dance to that kind of music." Elio said, trying to exempt himself.

"That's okay! I'll show you!" She laughed, grabbing his hand and dragging him over. Elio stumbled in surprise and followed her.

"Whoa, wait, Cindra!"

"Don't worry about it," She laughed again, pulling him into the crowd. "It's easy. Just follow along with the music." She said before beginning to dance, rocking side to side and moving her arms to the music. Elio gave her an odd look.

"Okay." He said nervously. He didn't want to mimic her exact movements, but he sort of understood what she was trying to show him. So he just started by rocking side to side too. Cindra giggled at how stiffly he was moving.

"That's a good start! Now loosen up!" She insisted, taking his hands and helping him move more. He followed along and very slowly he started to relax.

"I guess this isn't so bad." Elio chuckled, gradually starting to enjoy it, even though it was very much outside of his comfort zone.

Before long, the music changed. It became slower and softer. Cindra, realizing what it was, took Elio's hand and they walked away. However, Elio glanced back in confusion.

"Wait, what's going on? Why are we leaving so suddenly?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, this song's just not for us. It's a couples' dance." She answered.

"Oh! Well, we don't have to go. We can dance to this too." He said. She looked at him in surprise.

"Really? But we're not a couple." She pointed out.

"So? Come on, show me how it works." He insisted, pulling her back towards the crowd. She chuckled and gave in, and they walked back into the crowd.

"Okay. It goes like this..." Cindra directed Elio to place his hands on her waist. She then wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. Then the two of them simply began to sway from side to side along with the other couples.

"I see what you mean. This is definitely a couples' sort of thing." He acknowledged. He'd been close to Cindra before, but being face to face with her in this context made him very nervous.

"Yeah... I've never really done this before. I've just observed from my parents, you know?" She admitted.

"Really? But you dance really well. Or I would assume you do, I wouldn't know." He said with a chuckle.

"Haha, thank you. It's just what I learned from my family, you know? Teaching and observing." She explained. Elio nodded in understanding.

"I gotcha... They don't really have dance parties like this in the Fire Nation. If there is dancing, it's typically formal and everyone does the same moves." Elio said.

"Sounds kinda boring." Cindra said honestly.

"That's why we don't really have them." Elio agreed with a laugh. Cindra laughed too.

"Haha, well I'm sorry if this is awkward for you. This is kind of intimate." She said, blushing and looking away.

"It's alright. I don't mind. I think it's nice." Elio said with a soft smile.

"Yeah, it is nice." She agreed. The song came to an end and the two of them stopped. They looked around them and saw other couples hugging and kissing each other. They looked at each other awkwardly.

"Yeah, moving on now." Elio said, rubbing the back of his head as the two walked away from the crowds. As they walked away, they took hold of each other's hands...

"This was really fun," Cindra said as the two of them made their way back into the inn once the festivities had come to an end. "I'm glad we ended up going, even if it took awhile to get there." She said with an apologetic chuckle.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm glad we went too," Elio said, squeezing her hand gently. "You were right. It was a good last day to have." He said before the two of them reached her room.

"Yeah, it was," She said. She turned towards him and gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Elio. Thank you for everything." She said with a genuine smile. He smiled in return.

"You're welcome. I'll see you at the dock tomorrow morning." He said, resting his hands in his pockets.

"Are you sure? The ship leaves pretty early." She warned him.

"It's fine! I'll just go back to sleep after I see you off." He said with a chuckle.

"Haha, alright. I'll wake you up so you don't miss it," She said, opening up the door to her room. "Goodnight." She said, looking back at him and smiling again before closing the door.

"Goodnight." Elio said before making his way back to his room. He smiled to himself as he opened the door and shut it behind him...

Elio lifted his head to the sound of knocking on his door. He rubbed his eyes and looked towards the window. The sun was barely out. He groaned and brushed the hair out of his face.

"Hello...?" He called out in a low, tired voice.

"Hey, Elio. It's almost time for me to go." Cindra said softly. Realizing this, Elio shook himself out of his sleep and got up.

"Okay! Give me one second!" He said, washing his face with water and putting his boots on. He grabbed his things and hurried to open up the door, startling Cindra a bit.

"Oh!"

"Let's go."

Cindra and Elio made their way over to the harbor. Cindra pointed out the ship that she was to be boarding. He walked her up to the end of the dock before she turned back to him.

"Guess this is really it, huh?" Elio acknowledged sadly. Cindra nodded and sighed.

"Yeah... I'm going to miss our adventures, Elio. Obviously I can't wait to be home again, but it's sad that this has to end. I really owe you so much." She said, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back.

"It's okay, Cindra. I'm happy that you're finally getting what you wanted. Even though I'm gonna miss you." He said, rubbing her back.

"I'm gonna miss you too... Please stay safe, Elio. If you get hurt, I won't be able to heal you anymore. So promise me you'll be careful." She insisted as she pulled away.

"Heheh, I promise," He said, rubbing her arm and managing a comforting smile. "Hey, I got you something; a little keepsake from me to you." He said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a necklace with a shiny purple stone at the end of it.

"Aww, Elio, it's beautiful! I love it!" She exclaimed, "Jeez, you're gonna make me cry now." She giggled, her eyes getting misty now.

"Haha, sorry. Here, put it on." He said, holding it out to her. She took it and put it on then readjusted her hair. She fixed it and smiled.

"How does it look?" She asked.

"Looks great," He answered. "Be safe out there, Cindra. Traveling on a ship isn't easy. Just, uh, don't get too close to the edge, okay? And if anything happens out there like a storm, below deck is the best place to wait it out. Well actually, you're a waterbender, so..."

"Haha, I'll be okay, Elio! I promise," She laughed. "Don't forget to write me if you ever get the chance."

"I won't." He nodded.

The two of them stepped in and hugged each other again tightly. Cindra rested her hand on the back of his head and curled her fingers in. They pulled away from each other slightly and leaned in for a kiss. They lingered for a few more seconds before letting each other go.

"Goodbye, Elio!" She said, grabbing all of her things and boarding the ship. When the ship began to pull away from shore, she stood at the back of the ship, waving to him.

"Goodbye, Cindra! You're gonna do great!" He called out to her encouragingly, smiling and waving back at her.

Once she was far away enough, Elio sighed and turned away and went back to the inn. Even though he was tired, it took him awhile to fall asleep. Even though he knew this was coming, it was emotional for him now. Once again, he was alone.

Neither Elio nor Cindra knew it, but they both shed a few tears that morning...


	25. Friendly Fire

And so Elio's journey to Ba Sing Se continues on. Now that he was back to being on his own again, he found himself thinking deeply and reflecting a lot more. There were certainly a lot of advantages and drawbacks to traveling alone versus with someone else.

But overall, he was pretty sure that he preferred traveling with Cindra.

However, he couldn't let that deter him. After all, he was beginning to learn how the strength of his firebending and his skill with his staff would be dependent on two things: his inner peace and balance, as well as training.

So he decided that it was time to get back to his training.

He made his way off to the side, coming upon by the river again. He set all of his things down and removed his extraneous clothing. Once he had stretched his arms out, he grabbed his staff and began to practice his formations.

As he'd gotten more opportunities to fight with the staff, he'd become quite proficient with it. And as he'd gained experience, his training had changed to match what he'd become used to. So now, instead of perfecting his basics, he was now practicing how to chain together attacks...

"There he is. Do you really think that's the guy, Amari?"

"He fits the bill pretty good. And he's got the black staff. Get down!" Amari pushed down the two heads of her companions, ducking down behind a nearby bush. The two boys with her peeked through the leaves.

"He almost saw us!"

"Man, this guy is good."

"Okay, you two. Remember the plan. We need to make sure that this is the guy. So that means we need him to-"

"What're you three kids doing?" Elio asked, peeking over the bush.

He watched as a young girl and two young brothers all jumped back in surprise. While they had been plotting behind the bush, Elio had heard them bickering and rustling around. Realizing that they had been caught, the girl raised her fist up.

"New plan! Fight him now!" She shouted.

"What? Whoa!" Elio exclaimed in surprise as the two boys stood up and began earthbending rocks at him.

Elio slid back and did a spin to avoid getting hit by the initial attacks. He spun his staff around and began deflecting the rocks. The two boys advanced on him and worked together to create a wall out of the ground. They both began shooting boulders rapidly out of the wall towards him.

"Keep going! We gotta get him to firebend!" The girl coached them.

"What?" Elio said in confusion. He jumped over the attacks and landed on the other side of the wall. As the boys turned around, he spun his staff around quickly and allowed a few bursts of fire to come out the sides; a brief display of firebending.

"He is the guy!" One of the boys exclaimed. They immediately ceased their attack.

"We found you, finally!" The girl laughed triumphantly. Still confused, Elio put his staff away.

"What do you kids want? Why did you attack me?" He questioned.

"We had to make sure you were really the guy." The other boy answered.

"What do you mean 'the guy'?" Elio asked impatiently.

"You're the Wandering Firebender; the circus performer, right?" The girl asked. Elio looked at her in surprise.

"You've heard of me?"

"We've heard stories of a firebender traveling with a waterbender who's been fighting with the Fire Nation." One of the boys explained.

"And you fit the bill," The girl added. "Firebending and a black staff."

"Is it true that you dueled a Fire Nation captain?" The other boy asked.

"Hey hey, slow down. Who are you kids and what do you want?"

"My name is Amari." The girl started.

"I'm Roz. This is my twin brother Wel."

"We need your help." Amari said.

"You need _my_ help?" Elio asked in surprise. The three kids all nodded.

"There's a group of firebenders bullying our town and taking people's stuff!" Wel said angrily.

"But all of our fathers are out fighting in the war. There's no one to defend the town. The men who stayed behind are too old." Roz added.

"So we went on a secret mission to find help. We heard about you and how you were traveling up the river. And here you are! And here we are asking for your help!" Amari finished.

Elio rubbed the back of his head, taking some time to think over this request. He was hesitant to help, admittedly, but he also knew that they had no other real options. He made his way back to his things, and the kids followed him. They waited in expectation for his answer.

"How far is the town from here?" He asked them.

"If we go now, we can make it back by sunset!" Amari answered.

"Sunset? You kids wandered this far from home to get help?" Elio asked.

"Well, yeah." Wel answered simply. Elio's eyes looked over the kids again.

"Alright, fine. Let's go. Lead the way." He reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah, alright! We did it!" Roz exclaimed happily. The kids all cheered and high-fived each other. Elio scoffed in amusement, pulling out his staff again and walking with it.

"Come on!" Wel gestured for him to follow them, and they began hurrying towards the trail. Elio sighed and followed them at his normal pace.

"So you didn't tell me before. Is it true that you dueled a Fire Nation captain?" Wel asked again.

"Something like that. He isn't a captain though. That's for the navy." Elio answered.

"But you did fight a Fire Nation leader guy." Roz changed the wording of the question. Elio sighed again.

"Yes, I did."

"What made you decide to start fighting the Fire Nation?" Amari asked curiously.

"I'm not fighting the Fire Nation. I'm just trying to outrun them. I'm looking for a place where I can settle." Elio answered.

"Like Ba Sing Se? That's where everyone's going." She pointed out.

"Maybe." Elio hesitantly answered.

"Where'd you get that cool staff?" Roz asked, wrapping his hand around it. Elio shooed his hand away.

"It was a gift from my master after he trained me how to use it." Elio answered.

"Was he from the Fire Nation too?"

"No. Well... I don't know."

"Hey, look at this!" Wel pulled something out of Elio's bag. Elio looked and saw him holding up Azula's royal headpiece.

"Hey, what're you doing in my bag?!" Elio shouted. He tried to snatch the headpiece back, but Wel tossed it to Amari before he could grab it.

"Isn't this a hairpiece? That's for girls, you know," She giggled, looking at it keenly. "It's really pretty though."

"It was a gift! Get your hands off of that!" Elio tried to grab it again. Amari tossed it over to Roz.

"It's really shiny! What're you doing with a girl's hairpiece? Is it your girlfriend's?" Roz asked with a teasing chuckle.

"It most certainly is not. Quit it!" Elio reached for it again. Roz tossed the hairpiece back to Amari.

"Is she pretty?" Amari asked curiously, placing the hairpiece atop her head and sticking it into her hair.

"She's the princess of the Fire Nation, alright?" Elio said, knowing that this would get them to stop. And he was right; all three of them stopped and looked at him in astonishment.

"The princess of the Fire Nation...is your girlfriend?!" Amari exclaimed in shock.

"No! Come off it already!" Elio finally managed to snatch the hairpiece back and shove it into his pack, "Don't go through my stuff again."

"Sorry. We're curious! We've never met someone nice from the Fire Nation before." Wel apologized on behalf of the group.

"I would imagine. There's not a lot of us out here." Elio responded simply.

"That's true." The kids all nodded awkwardly. They continued on in silence for awhile...

"So how many men are in this rogue group of firebenders?" Elio asked, adjusting his clothing.

"Uhh...like 6 or 7?" Roz answered slowly.

"How often do they come into town?"

"Every few days. Why?" Amari asked.

"Trying to get a sense of what I'm dealing with. From the sound of it, they're not soldiers." Elio deduced.

"Really? How do you know?" Wel asked.

"Because they wouldn't be able to come that often if they were operating under regulations. Fire Nation divisions have very strict regimens." Elio described.

"Ohh. Were you a soldier?" Wel asked.

"No, never. But my father's a general. He made sure I knew about this stuff."

"Oh wow! See? I knew you were the perfect person to help our town!" Amari said proudly. Elio chuckled and shook his head.

"I guess you're right... So you've heard stories about me, you said. What kind of stories?" Elio asked curiously. The kids all looked at each other.

"Just a few: about how you dueled the Fire Nation captain, about how you were in the circus as a performer, and how you were traveling with a waterbending girl. Where is she, by the way?" Amari asked.

"She's not with me anymore. She's going home." Elio answered.

"Aw man! We could've used her help too!" Roz grumbled unhappily.

"It's okay. I've handled a group of firebenders before. I'll manage." Elio said confidently.

"You must be, like, a _really_ good firebender! What were your performances like?" Wel asked.

"My performances? Oh, well... They were great. They were really great. Some of the most fun I've ever had firebending." Elio said, thinking back with a fond sigh.

"Oh yeah? Think we could see it?" Roz asked.

"No." Elio quickly answered.

Finally, the four of them made it back to the kids' town. Elio looked out over the small town. Even from where he was, he could look through one end of the town and see out the other end. The kids rushed ahead and gestured for Elio to hurry up and follow him.

"Come on! We'll show you which way they come from!" Amari urged him.

Elio hesitantly followed behind them, entering into town. As the kids ran ahead of him, Elio looked around at the different small buildings. The townsfolk there glanced at him strangely; it must've been odd to see an outsider like him walking through while being led by children.

"Roz! Wel! There you kids are! Where have you been all day?" An older woman called to get their attention. The two brothers ran straight towards her. From a distance, Elio presumed that this woman was the boys' mother.

"We were out with Amari." Wel answered.

"We found someone to take care of the firebenders that keep raiding the town!" Roz added with an excited smile, pointing towards Elio. Elio and the woman made eye contact awkwardly.

"You kids did what?!" She groaned and walked over to Elio, "I must apologize for my sons' behavior, good sir. You didn't need to come out all this way." She apologized.

"It's alright, ma'am. It was on my way anyways. What can you tell me about these men?"

"They're a pack of traveling bandits. They prey on small towns and take as much as they can; they're like parasites," She grumbled. "The earthbenders of this town have all gone away to fight in the front lines. We have very little defenses, so they won't leave us alone." She explained.

"I see... Well, the kids here took it upon themselves to get help, and they found me. I'll drive them out. But I'll need everyone to stay indoors when the men arrive." He instructed.

"We'll tell everyone!" Roz volunteered before the two boys ran off in different directions.

"These men are dangerous, son. Are you sure you want to face them? You _will_ be alone." The mother pointed out.

"I'll do what I can." Elio promised.

"You must be an earthbender, yes? That's why you're so sure of yourself." The mother presumed.

"Actually, he's the Wandering-" Amari spoke up before Elio cut her off.

"I'm not an earthbender. I just know how to handle firebenders. I've fought plenty before." Elio answered.

"Well... I can't say that any one of us would be comfortable asking a kid like you to fight our battles, no offense. But we don't have any other options." She sighed.

"It's okay. Spread the word to the rest of the town. I'll wait for the men to arrive. When do they normally come?" Elio asked.

"Before the sun fully sets! We'll have to hurry!" Amari exclaimed.

"Go then. Warn everyone, child." The mother nodded. Amari ran off to join the two boys in warning the town of what was about to happen.

"Thank you for being willing to help us, sir. Even at the word of children, you came to help us," She said appreciatively. "What's your name?"

"My name is Elio."

"Well, Elio, best of luck to you." She said before going back into her house.

Elio made his way to the other end of the town to wait for the firebenders to come. He sat down cross-legged with his staff in his hand, keeping his belongings hidden out of sight. After a few minutes of waiting quietly, the children ran over to join him.

"Hey, Elio! We've warned the whole town to stay inside until you've beaten the firebenders!" Roz informed him.

"Good. You kids should get back to your homes as well. You don't want to be around for when the fighting starts." Elio warned them.

"Have you thought about how you're gonna beat the guys?" Wel asked.

"Not really. I don't know what I'm dealing with yet. I don't know their level of skill. I'll just have to adapt to whatever comes my way." He answered honestly.

"Look, there they are. They're coming." Amari pointed forward.

Elio lifted his head and saw 7 men riding in on ostrich horses. As they came closer, he got a better sense of what he was dealing with: they were riding in formation, so they were ex-military. Using ostrich horses instead of komodo rhinos meant that they weren't being backed by the military; they were on their own.

"Get inside. Now." Elio firmly instructed the children. They quickly ran to their homes and shut the doors behind them. Elio stood up with his staff in hand as the men approached and began to circle around him.

"Oh, look! It's a new kid! You must be passing through, huh?" One of them chuckled.

"I am." Elio answered, resting the bottom end of his staff on the ground.

"We'll make this real simple, son. Give us everything you got in your pockets and we'll let you go." Another one said. Elio took in a breath.

"Actually, I've got a better suggestion. Leave this town now and never come back, and I promise that I will let you go unharmed." He stated his terms. The men laughed.

"I don't know if you've heard about us, kid, but you're in way over your head here. So unless you want to get burnt to a crisp, you better do what we say." They warned.

"Leave now. Final warning." Elio stated firmly.

"Alright, you asked for it."

One of the men shot a fireball at him. Elio quickly turned and spun his staff to repel the blast. Another man behind him shot a blast. Elio turned around and did the same thing again, flicking some fire towards one of the ostrich horses. It reeled back awkwardly.

"Enough playing around!" Another one shouted, shooting a stronger blast at Elio. Elio spun his staff again and brought it over his head, sending out a circular blast of fire out in all directions. This knocked the men off of their ostrich horses, and the animals scattered off.

As one of the men began to stand up, Elio attacked him first, swinging his staff towards his head. The man rolled back and shot a fireball out of his feet towards Elio's face. This forced Elio to bend backwards to dodge it. He stumbled backwards into two other men.

The two men tried to grab onto Elio. Elio twisted quickly and kicked one between the legs as hard as he could. As the first man went down, Elio loosened himself from the grasp of the second man. He lunged forward with his staff, but the man jumped back.

Several of them shot fire at Elio all at the same time. Elio spun his staff again, but the force of the blasts made him slide back. Using his own firebending, he took control of the fire and spun it around him, creating an expanding blast of heat that caught them all by surprise.

"You gotta be kidding me! He's a firebender!" One of them realized.

Elio slid his staff back into its sleeve and threw several fire punches towards that man, sending him off-balance. Two men shot fireballs at Elio to come to his defense. Elio jumped to his right to dodge the blasts, then twisted into a spinning fire kick to knock one sideways into the other.

"Of course the kid's a protege!" One of the men grumbled as he shot a huge plume of fire at Elio. Elio leaped over it and landed behind the man, using a few quick chi-blocking jabs to incapacitate him.

"I'm pretty sure you mean prodigy." Elio corrected him.

Elio was quickly tackled to the ground by the nearest man. He tried to throw a fire punch point blank into Elio's face. He twisted awkwardly to dodge it, but as the man tried to keep him pinned down, the other 4 men who were left threw a few kicks into Elio's sides.

Elio yelled out in pain. He grabbed the man on top of him by the neck and pushed him to one side. Elio twisted on his shoulders and spun around, creating another ring of fire with his feet and sending it outwards. As the 4 men stumbled back, he threw a few chi-blocking jabs down into the 5th man who had tackled him.

"Take him down already!" One of them shouted, throwing several fire punches at him. Elio sidestepped the attacks and returned with his own blasts. The 4 men all continued frantically throwing fire punches at him while Elio continued dodging them and directing their blasts towards each other.

"Quit dancing around!" Another one growled, shooting a wide plume of fire at him. Elio used his staff again to absorb the attack, but the other three men were quick to join in, sending a huge blast of fire towards his front and back. He was surrounded.

Elio shot up into the air with a big fire jump. Putting his staff back in its sleeve, he threw several fire punches and kicks down at the men. Two of them was hit and quickly crumpled down to the ground. However, the other two managed to either dodge or redirect the attacks.

As Elio landed hard on the ground, both of the remaining men shot arcing blasts at Elio at the same time. Elio managed to dive in between the two attacks, but as he rolled to one knee, a third arcing blast crashed right into him. He yelled out as he was knocked onto his back.

"Elio!" He heard one of the kids' voices shout his name, but he couldn't distinguish which one it was. As the two men walked over, the two twins came out and started throwing boulders at the men. They both fired blasts back at the kids, and they quickly scampered off.

"Stay inside!" Elio shouted to them before he was kicked in the back and turned over.

The two men standing over Elio looked at his face again and realized who he was. The man who had been kicked between the legs also had recovered and was also making his way over.

"Elio, huh? Now it makes sense. You're the kid that Cassian guy is looking for. He put a price on your head. Not a bad one too." One of the men chuckled.

"If we take you to him, we won't need to steal anything from this crummy old town anymore." The other man said to his partner.

"Not gonna happen!" Elio hissed, forcing himself to get up.

Elio kicked back up to his feet and threw a punch at one of the men. However, he caught the punch and threw an uppercut into Elio's chest. The second man then threw a kick into Elio's head as Elio tried to pull away. Elio stumbled sideways and was ready to throw a fire kick, but he got hit with a fire kick first.

Elio was knocked to the ground again and slid back in the dirt. He grunted out in shock, starting to get dizzy. He lifted his head up in time to see one of them up in the air, about to throw a fire kick down onto Elio. Elio gasped, seeing he only had a half-second to react.

Elio rolled to the side and got up roughly before the kick could hit him. The other two men shot fireballs at Elio once again. Elio, now regaining his footing, caught both of the fireballs and spun them around, bringing them back towards his attackers.

Not expecting this, the two men stumbled back in surprise. The man who had tried to take Elio out with the fire kick came up to him and tried to throw a fire punch. Elio dodged the attack and took him down with a few more chi-blocking quick jabs.

"You can do it, Elio!" Amari shouted at him from the front porch of her house.

Elio extended both fists out towards his remaining two opponents. They both began throwing quick fire punches and kicks at him. Elio quickly pushed the blasts aside, focusing on making sure he didn't get hit. Before long, the men were running out of energy.

Elio, realizing he now had the upper hand, ran towards both of them. He jumped into the air and threw several fire kicks at them. The two men stepped away from each other and blocked the fire blasts. Elio landed between them and took in a deep breath.

As they both threw fireballs at Elio, Elio turned his body and did two different moves. With one hand, he raised up a fire wall that absorbed the attack. With his other hand, he caught the second fireball and spread it outwards so it wouldn't hit him.

Elio twisted on his foot and threw a fire kick through the wall he had created. This sent a huge force of fire crashing into one of the men, knocking him to the ground forecefully. He turned back towards the second man, pulling his staff out and taking him down with several quick strikes to his shins and his head.

"This fight is over. Those of you that can still stand, take the rest of these men and leave. You're done here. And if you know what's good for you, you won't come back." Elio made his stance clear.

Elio watched as the three men that could still walk accepted their defeat. They slowly gathered the other four men and rode off on their ostrich horses. They only needed four to get away, leaving three of them behind. Elio took one for himself.

"Are they all gone?" Amari asked as she ran over to him. He nodded.

"Yep. They are. They won't be coming around here again." Elio said, managing a smile.

"Elio!" Roz shouted as he ran over with his brother. "You were awesome!"

"That was incredibly cool!" Wel agreed. Elio laughed.

"Thanks, I guess."

"What's wrong with your face?" Amari asked, pointing at him. Elio gave her a weird look.

"What do you mean?"

"Your eye area is red. So are your eyes actually." She noticed, tracing her finger around one of her eye sockets to show him where it was. Elio nodded in understanding.

"I just got hit with some fire. It happens." He answered simply.

"Man, that's so cool." Roz giggled. Elio scoffed and shook his head humorously.

Elio looked up and saw that members of the town were now coming out and slowly making their way towards him. Elio quickly hopped onto his ostrich horse and took control of the reins, turning it away from the town. He was about to run away when he was stopped.

"Wait!" He heard. He turned back and saw that the mother of Roz and Wel was walking towards him cautiously and holding some simple fruits in a bowl out to him, "I know it isn't much, but please take these with you. Thank you."

Elio was so surprised by this that he almost forgot to take the fruit. But he took the bowl and poured all the fruits into the saddle of the ostrich horse. Now a gentleman approached him, holding out some Earth Kingdom money.

"Here. As repayment." He said.

"Wow. Thank you." Elio said appreciatively, taking the money slowly and putting it in his pocket.

"My daughter's safe and sound now because of what you did... Thank you." He said slowly. Amari ran over and smiled up at him.

"Be careful on your journey, Elio, wherever it is you're going!"

"I will be. Thank you." Elio said with a chuckle. He looked out at the townspeople who were watching him leave. There weren't a lot of them, but the fact that they'd even shown him appreciation for what he'd done for them meant more to him than he could say.

Elio turned his ostrich horse away from the town and began to ride off. He grabbed his pack full of supplies on his way out. And as he rode away from the small town, he heard a noise behind him; something he hadn't heard since his time in the circus:

The sound of applause...


	26. The Dance of Two Flames

"Tell me again why we're stopping in an Earth Kingdom town? I thought we were going to stay in the machine until we caught up with the Avatar." Mai complained.

On their way to the Avatar's last sighted location, Princess Azula and her crew: Mai and Ty Lee, stopped in a big, bustling Earth Kingdom town at Azula's order. Now the three of them were walking through town surrounded by bodyguards and with more men trailing behind them awaiting orders.

"This thriving Earth Kingdom settlement has all the supplies we need. Once we've caught up with the Avatar, we'll need to pursue him relentlessly; we can't let them pause to rest. Which means that once they've spotted our machine, we cannot afford to stop.

"Thankfully, this little town is graciously donating all the food and materials that we will need for our mission." Azula said with a smirk, watching as Fire Nation soldiers approached different stands in the market, taking the food and collecting them in sacks.

"Yeah, don't be such a downer, Mai. Besides, you were the one complaining about being _inside_ the machine before. At least now you get to get out in the sun, stretch your legs." Ty Lee listed, doing a forward cartwheel and stretching her arms out with a smile.

"Ugh, when I said I wanted to get out, walking through this dingy, dusty town is not what I had in mind." Mai grumbled.

"It is kinda dusty," Ty Lee agreed, noticing the dust on her hands from her forward cartwheel. She clapped her hands together to clean them off. "But it's not that bad! It's actually kinda nice here!"

"Not all of us got used to the Earth Kingdom like you did," Mai pointed out. "Even in Omashu, everything was made of stone and sand and..."

"Earth?" Ty Lee finished her sentence.

"The sooner we capture the Avatar, the sooner we all get to return home." Azula said.

"Ooh, then we can throw a big party to celebrate! With fireworks!" Ty Lee giggled.

"Just as long as there's food." Mai sighed.

"Now you're getting into the spirit of things." Azula said humorously.

"Step aside!" One of the soldiers keeping a perimeter around the princess and her friends shouted suddenly. The three of them all glanced over to see the soldier pushing someone who was coming around the corner. He fell back on the ground with a grunt.

"The sooner we get out of this town, the better." Mai said, turning her attention away. Azula looked away as well. However, Ty Lee peeked between the line of bodyguards to see who had been pushed to the ground.

It was an understatement to say that she was utterly shocked by who she saw.

"Elio?!" She gasped. She quickly darted between the guards and rushed over to Elio.

"Ty Lee?" Elio looked up at her, recognizing her immediately. His eyes widened in amazement as she held out her hand. He took it and stood up.

"It's really you!" She exclaimed, putting her other hand on his arm, "What're you doing here?!"

"Elio?" Azula's head rose up in recognition of the name. She turned her head to look over and see him.

Azula's mind quickly began to race as she saw him. It had been months since their last meeting when he'd rejected her offer to be on her team. Now there he was right in front of her again. And Ty Lee seemed to know him too somehow; she'd picked him out immediately.

Elio's eyes drifted away from Ty Lee to the soldiers who had been escorting her. That's when he saw Princess Azula staring right at him with widened, bewildered eyes. His own eyes widened in shock and fear. The two were frozen in place for a few lengthy seconds.

"You know him?" Ty Lee asked Azula in surprise, looking back and forth between him and Azula and seeing this strange tension between them.

Elio stuttered nervously, but no response came out. He backed away from Ty Lee and looked at Azula again before turning away and hurrying off. He quickly disappeared into the crowd of the marketplace.

"Wait! Elio!" Ty Lee called out in confusion.

"That one of your old boyfriends, Ty Lee?" Mai dispassionately asked.

"Do you wish for us to pursue him, princess?" One of the soldiers asked, picking up on the fact that something out of the ordinary was happening. Azula pressed her lips together with furrowed eyebrows, seemingly not noticing the question.

"Princess?"

"No," Azula quickly answered. "You have your assignments to carry out. We should return to our transport right away."

Ty Lee walked back within the perimeter of bodyguards around the princess looking confused and upset. Azula looked her over with an unusual expression. Ty Lee looked back at her. The two of them said nothing to each other.

"So can we go now?" Mai interrupted.

The soldiers quickly finished running their errands for the princess. Meanwhile, the three girls made their way back towards the machine. As they entered into it, Azula spoke up again, finally deciding to address what had just happened with Elio.

"Ty Lee, I wasn't aware that you and Elio knew each other." She began.

"Um, yeah. He was... He used to be part of my circus troupe. We traveled together for a little while." She explained. Azula gave her an odd look.

"The circus?"

"Yeah... You know him too?" Ty Lee asked nervously.

"Apparently not. But I'm going to check something." Azula said before breaking away from the others, walking to her private quarters. Ty Lee watched her go with a worried expression.

"Oh boy. Sounds like Azula's got it out for your boyfriend." Mai said, looking at her nails.

"What? You really think so?"

"I don't know." Mai shrugged and left Ty Lee alone...

For awhile, Ty Lee kept to herself. However, she kept replaying the moment in her head; the moment Elio and Azula made eye contact. There was something going on there; Elio could be in danger. Finally, she decided to speak with Azula, so she went to her room.

"Azula?" Ty Lee knocked on her closed door.

"Is that you, Ty Lee?" Azula called through the door.

"Yep! Can I come in?"

"Of course." She answered.

Ty Lee walked into Azula's room. When she entered, Azula was standing in front of a desk against the opposite wall. She was holding her royal hairpiece in her hands, looking down at it. She let her hair fall down freely from her shoulders. Ty Lee closed the door gently behind her.

"Hi." She said, holding her hands down in front of her.

"I sent word out to different posts in the area. It turns out that your friend Elio is a fugitive." She revealed abruptly, getting right to the point.

"Wh... What?!"

"Reports indicate that he was lined up and prepped to start out as a foot soldier only to disappear overnight. He fled to the Earth Kingdom to stay out of fighting in the war...like a coward." She shook her head, turning back to look at Ty Lee.

"No way..." Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock, "Are you sure? There...must be some kind of explanation."

"I just gave you the explanation," Azula said, going to her mirror. "He confided in a local squad leader who's been looking for him. Even his own father acknowledges this to be the truth."

"Elio..." Ty Lee shook her head, letting all of this sink in, "I...had no idea, Azula."

"I suspected as much. When I met Elio, he was traveling on a trade ship. He was careful, but he lied to me about what he was doing there."

"He lied to you? And you believed him?" Ty Lee asked slowly in disbelief.

"I suspected something was wrong," Azula was quick to set the record straight. "But... I had no reason to doubt him. Especially after I saw what he was capable of." She admitted.

"What he was capable of?" Ty Lee repeated, not understanding what she was referring to.

"He did a job for me awhile back. I offered him the chance to join me; if he had accepted, he'd probably be with us on this mission right now...

"It's ironic. When I wanted him to join me, he declined. But if he had, perhaps I would've found it in me to expunge the charges against him." She scoffed humorously and shook her head.

"Azula... What are you going to do?" Ty Lee asked.

Azula didn't answer right away. Firstly, she fixed her armor and reached for the table beneath her mirror. Her fingers drifted past her royal hairpiece and instead wrapped around a simple red ribbon. She picked it up and tied her hair into a simply ponytail.

"I'm going after him alone. I'm going to find him and I'm gonna drag him back here where he will become this vehicle's honorary first prisoner." She decided.

"A-Are you sure that's a good idea?! We still have the Avatar to go after!" Ty Lee reminded her, trying to redirect her attention. However, Azula made her way to the door. She paused and looked sideways at Ty Lee.

"Whatever feelings you may have had for him, I suggest you bury them now. He is an enemy of the Fire Nation, and he will face justice for his betrayal." She said before opening up the door and leaving the room.

"Oh gosh..." Ty Lee swallowed...

Meanwhile, Elio had no idea what to do. He'd walked right into the middle of a worst-case scenario: Fire Nation soldiers were crawling all over the city. With Azula somewhere in the city, it was only a matter of time before he would be hunted down.

He'd run back to his room in the local inn where he had intended on staying before this happened. But now he had to get out of the city as soon as possible. So he packed up all of his things and waited until the coast was clear. Once the Fire Nation soldiers had dispersed, he left the inn and started making his way towards the stable where his ostrich horse was.

He did his best to remain inconspicuous until he reached the stable. He hurried to his ostrich horse and began hooking up his personal belongings to the saddle. His hands were fidgety from how nervous he was. However, before he could mount the animal, he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"You know, Elio, I knew something was different about you. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I was intrigued." Azula admitted, standing by the stable with her hands on her hips. Elio swallowed nervously and turned back towards her with nothing but his staff in its sleeve.

"I could tell," He admitted. "You pointed out similarities between the two of us that I would've never thought of."

"I'm sure you were flattered. I wish I could take it back," She sneered at him. "It's a shame, Elio. So much wasted potential. Your father must be so disappointed." She said to get under his skin. Elio let out a breath through his nose.

"So you know?"

"Did you really think it would stay a secret forever?"

"I guess I didn't think about it at the time. I just knew joining the army was wrong." He answered. Azula laughed at him.

"This filthy land has you indoctrinated!"

"The Earth Kingdom didn't make my decision. I decided it the moment I left the Fire Nation." He said firmly.

"I feel sorry for you, Elio. You're a fool. And here I overestimated what you were capable of... Now you just remind me of my brother. He's a failure too." She shook her head.

She suddenly shot a powerful blue fire blast directly at Elio. Elio jumped to the side, using his foot to direct her flames away from the animals. He created fire out of his feet and flew into the air, angling himself away from the stable. He flipped around awkwardly and landed on top of a nearby building.

Elio pushed himself into a full sprint, leading Azula away from the stables. As he ran, Azula launched herself into the air and landed on the rooftop. She wasn't far behind him. She jumped and threw a fire kick at Elio. Elio turned and saw it coming. He jumped to the next rooftop, flipping backwards as he avoided it.

As Azula jumped into the air and went after him, Elio shot several fireballs towards her. She blocked each one with quick swipes of her hands and feet. She landed on the ground and threw several fire blasts directly at him. Elio dodged them and tried to block the last one, but the fire was too hot for him to control, and this caught him by surprise.

Elio shouted out as he was thrown off-balance by Azula's fire. Azula immediately took advantage, closing the distance between them and throwing a kick into his side. He stumbled and fell to one knee. Azula spun around to throw another kick. Elio ducked under it and rolled forward.

As Elio quickly got to his feet and both of them turned back towards each other, they each brought their hands together to create a powerful fire blast. They sent it at each other, creating a forceful explosion that sent them both flying backwards.

Elio yelped and flailed his arms wildly. He crashed onto the dirt road below and tumbled backwards into a slide. As his momentum slowed, he forced himself back onto his feet and quickly turned away, running in the opposite direction from Azula.

"You gotta be kidding me." Elio huffed, turning a sharp corner and continuing to sprint. His adrenaline had spiked, and he was in a frenzy. Everyone in the Fire Nation knew how strong Azula was. His chances of getting out of this were slim to none.

Azula roared as she flew towards Elio with a boost from her firebending. She pounced onto Elio from the side and the two of them tumbled and crashed into an abandoned building. They broke through the rotting wood and into the main room. Elio tumbled onto his stomach.

Azula took a moment to catch her breath before she got up from one knee. She quickly extended both arms, creating a wall of fire that spread all around the corners of the room. This surrounded the two of them by fire so that neither of them could easily escape.

"You may be a fool, Elio, but I know you're smart enough to know you can't win this fight. Surrender now, and I'll be gentle as I drag you into your cell." She demanded. Elio grunted and slowly got to his feet, taking in a few quick breaths.

"I'm sorry, princess, but my answer is no." He said, getting into a fighting stance. This irritated Azula as she resumed her offense.

Azula threw several quick fire punches at Elio. He sidestepped them and used his own fire to redirect one of her attacks. She shot a fireball at him. He tried to take control of it and send it back towards her, but he still couldn't handle the heat of her fire. It slipped out of his grasp and crashed into the wall behind him.

As he turned his body away with stinging hands, Azula sent an arcing fire kick right for his head. Elio ducked under it and sent a low sweeping fire kick towards her. Azula used her hands to create a column of fire, absorbing his attack. She twisted her body and shot another fireball at him.

Elio got down on his stomach to duck under the fireball. He was quickly realizing that Azula's skill and power made beating her traditionally impossible. He was going to have to get creative if he was gonna have any chance of getting away from her.

Azula shot fire directly at Elio. Elio rolled sideways to avoid it and spun forward, sending some of the fire burning on the wall behind him towards her. Azula gasped and crossed her arms to block the attack. Elio got to his feet and threw a sideways fire kick, bending more of the surrounding fire towards her.

The attack from the side forced Azula to advance forward. With her eyes averted, Elio threw a kick towards her head. Azula saw it just in time to catch his ankle. She tried to sweep his other leg out from under him, forcing him to jump into the air.

He flopped onto his back and bent his knees, pulling Azula towards him since she still had a grip on his ankle. With both feet, he kicked her in the stomach. He used his firebending to launch her backwards, sending her flying through the wall and out of the building with a scream.

Elio scrambled to his feet quickly as the building began to crumble around him. The fire was licking up the wood around him, wearing everything away. He turned the other way and jumped out of the nearest window, crashing through the glass just before the building collapsed.

Elio coughed from the dust and smoke in the air as he stepped back out towards the road. As he started backing away, he saw Azula standing on the other side of the wreckage. Her hair had come loose and was falling freely. Her seething expression showed that she was furious.

Fearfully, Elio turned away and started to run. He looked back and saw that Azula was very quickly closing the gap between them. He looked to his left and noticed a line of buildings to his left. He turned sharply and felt Azula's hand slide on his back as she slipped past him.

With a forceful charge, he desperately broke through the front door of a random building. As he crashed inside, the family within screamed in shock. Elio looked up and saw a family gathering around the kitchen table one room over.

"Sorry!" Elio shouted as he scrambled to his feet and rushed up the stairs.

"Get back here!" Azula snarled as she sprinted into the house and up the stairs after him.

Azula shot fire up at Elio. He turned a sharp corner just in time to avoid it, rushing up the next step of stairs. He could feel the heat of the fire as it bounced off the walls. Azula turned the corner and jumped up the steps, tackling Elio from behind as he was reaching the top of the steps.

"Ah!" Elio hissed as he landed on the floor. Azula growled and raised her hand up to bring fire down on him.

Elio turned onto his back and saw her attack coming. He flicked her hand away and pushed her off. She grabbed him by the neck, but he quickly pulled himself free and stumbled to his feet. He turned to his left to the end of the hall where he saw a window.

He pulled his staff out and used it to break the glass. He turned back and saw Azula shooting a blast of fire at him. He used one hand to create enough fire to keep the attack from hitting him. He crawled out of the window and launched himself into the air, landing on the rooftop of the next building.

However, Azula was right behind him. She launched herself into the air and landed in front of him, keeping him from running any further. She shot a fireball at him. Elio spun his staff around and was able to successfully disperse her attack.

"You know, if you had joined me back when I had offered, things would be much easier for you right now!" She pointed out with an irritated grunt.

"Yeah, I liked you a lot better when you were nice!" Elio said with a crack in his voice.

"Oh, I can be nice! Why don't you come here and I'll show you!" She taunted.

Azula shot a heavy volley of fire at him. Elio spun his staff again and stepped in a circle. Azula did the same. Once Azula had finished her attack, Elio swung his staff, sending fire arcing out of it. Azula twisted awkwardly to dodge it, advancing towards him and throwing a jumping kick towards him.

Elio sidestepped her kick and struck her several times quickly with his staff. The first few hit her before she started using the metal armor on her forearms to block a few more attacks. She kicked him in the chest to push him back.

Azula jumped forward to try and grab him. He held up his staff to block her. She wrapped her hands around the staff, and the two of them pushed against each other. Azula tried to kick up several blasts of fire towards him. Elio awkwardly flicked them away with his feet and let go of the staff, ducking down to try and sweep her legs.

Azula jumped over his sweeping kick and drop-kicked him with both feet, sending him rolling backwards. Azula tightened her grip around the staff and looked at it oddly as Elio got to his feet.

"How about I give this a try now?" She teased.

Azula smirked as she swung the staff forcefully. Blue fire shot out of it and flared intensely. Elio yelped as he ducked down to dodge it. The fire burst outwards behind him. She continued to swing at him; Elio advanced as he barely dodged each attack.

Azula swung the staff at Elio's head. He slid forward on his knees and bent backwards to avoid the flames. He twisted his body and knocked her legs out from under her. As she crashed on top of him, he grabbed the staff and kicked her off. He got up and jumped to the next building; it had a slanted rooftop with only a narrow walkway to stand on.

As Elio landed and ran to the other side, Azula jumped after him and shot another forceful blast. Elio spun his staff again to deflect it, but as Azula got closer, the force of the flames knocked the staff out of his hands. As he lost his grip, it slid down and off the roof.

Azula threw several fire kicks at Elio, advancing closer with each attack. Elio used his own flames to deflect the blasts, coming closer too. They both threw a kick and hit each other. They spun around again, stepped back and hit each other with a fire blast, causing them both to slide back.

"You made a huge mistake, Elio, saying no to me! I could've solved all your problems! We could've accomplished so much together! Even you have to recognize that!" Azula growled. Elio, a little short of breath, answered back while panting.

"We had a common goal last time. That's the only reason we worked so well together. I was never going to join you, Azula." He said firmly and simply.

"Then you've thrown away your only chance!" Azula spat. She jumped into the air and brought her foot down, creating a powerful arcing fire kick.

Elio jumped to the side, tumbling down the roof of the building. He grabbed onto the edge but his fingers slipped off. He fell down onto the ground with a hard slam. He groaned and grabbed his staff, only barely able to get to his feet before Azula came down.

Elio stepped back to keep her from crashing down on top of him. He threw several punches at her, which she deflected. She smacked him in the face with her palm, making him stumble back. Even though he was stunned, he jumped and kicked her, stunning her too.

Shaking the blow off, Elio advanced again and pushed her into the wall of the building behind her. As she bounced off of it, he threw several punches into her side. She gasped in shock. Elio punched her several times in the arm. Azula tried to blast him with fire in a daze, but she couldn't.

Elio had managed to chi-block her!

He pulled his staff out and spun around, sweeping her legs out from under her. She landed on her back with a pained grunt. Elio spun and stepped back then shot small popping fire blasts into her face; not to hurt her, but to blind her temporarily.

"Gah!" She growled out, shutting her eyes and turning away from Elio. He turned and sprinted away from her while she was down.

He got about three houses away before a hand reached out and pulled him into the alley.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed as he stumbled. He brought his hands up, ready to keep fighting, but he quickly realized that it was Ty Lee who had grabbed him.

"Elio! Follow me! I can get you out of here, but we gotta move fast!" She said, pulling him along.

"O-Okay!" He stuttered, following after her.

"I-I can't believe you got away from Azula!" She stuttered in disbelief.

"Neither can I..." He admitted. Once they had put a little more distance between them and Azula, they slowed down and Ty Lee began to question him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a Fire Nation fugitive?!"

"Azula told you?" He pulled his hand away, "How do I know that you're not leading me into a trap?"

"Elio," She looked at him, almost offended. "If I wanted to take you down, I would've chi-blocked you. I'm trying to help you, dummy! Come on!" She pulled his arm again.

"Okay..." He finally nodded and continued to follow her. He then chose to answer her question. "I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you. I didn't know how you would react."

"I guess I understand. But is it true that you ran away because you didn't want to be a soldier?" She asked.

"Yeah... I didn't know what else to do." He admitted.

The two of them reached an opening. Elio saw his ostrich horse idly waiting for him. Ty Lee had brought it over for him. As they approached it, she put a hand on his arm.

"Elio... Why don't you want to be a soldier?" She asked, "Why did you risk so much just to be on the run?"

"Because, Ty Lee... I don't like what the Fire Nation does. I can't get behind it," He said honestly. "Why are you with Azula?"

"We're going after the Avatar," She answered honestly. "Azula specifically asked me to help her. I said no, but then things at the circus changed. I felt like the universe wanted me to make a change, so I joined her." She summarized. Elio made a face and shook his head.

"Ty Lee... You're going after the Avatar?" He said in disbelief, backing away from her.

"I am... The Fire Nation is our home, Elio. You may not believe in it, but I do. And I'm willing to fight for it."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Elio said in disappointment. "But then why are you helping me?"

"Because I still care about you..." She answered, stepping forward and kissing him on the cheek. "If you stay here any longer, Azula's gonna find you again. Get out of here. Be careful, okay?" She urged him. Elio nodded and mounted his ostrich horse.

"Thank you, Ty Lee. Goodbye." He said before riding away as quickly as he could.

"Goodbye..." Ty Lee said sadly...

Ty Lee hurriedly rushed back to the machine before Azula could return. She entered in and sat down in one of her chairs. Mai was sitting there sharpening her knives. Ty Lee nervously looked at Mai but didn't say anything. Fortunately, Mai was preoccupied with what she was doing and didn't even look at her.

Then Azula came in. Her hair was messy, and she looked upset. Ty Lee immediately stood up and walked over to her, "Azula! Are you alright? What happened?" She asked in concern.

"He got away." Azula grumbled.

"Guess you shouldn't have gone alone." Mai commented.

"I underestimated my opponent. It won't happen again." Azula grunted.

"Yeah, because we need to move on and capture the Avatar, remember?" Mai reminded her.

"Of course," Azula said, flicking her hair out of her face. "But rest assured, I will make sure that our friend is dealt with," She promised, smirking again. "I'm going to find the perfect person to track him down and bring him in...dead or alive." She decided.

"Dead or alive?" Ty Lee repeated nervously. She got up and caught up with Azula, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder to turn her back around, "Azula, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," She quickly answered with a seemingly irritated tone. "You could've told me that you taught Elio how to chi-block, you know." She pointed out.

"I-I'm sorry, Azula. I was just so caught up in that you were even going after Elio that it completely slipped my mind." She apologized sincerely. Azula bit her lip and let herself process this. She then sighed and allowed herself to calm down a bit.

"It's alright. It's not your fault. What happened today was between me and him...and if we run into him again, I'll keep it that way." She promised.

Azula turned away from her and made her way back to her room. She shut the door behind her and locked it. Ty Lee swallowed nervously; she was even more worried for Elio now.

He'd gotten away, but at what cost?

"Hey, you borrowed one of my knives; can I get it back now? My set's incomplete." Mai requested.

"O-Oh, sure, Mai! I'll bring it to you right now!" Ty Lee stuttered and went back to her room to grab it...

Meanwhile, Elio continued to ride away from town feeling beaten down and exhausted. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he knew that he'd only escaped the princess by the skin of his teeth. He slumped down against the neck of his ostrich horse, urging it to continue.

He could only hope that he didn't run into Azula a third time...


End file.
